Case Study: Polen Special airplane achieves faster reverse engineering and aerodynamic redesign with Hexagon Leica T-Scan

Polen Special Airplane - Customer Case Study

Polen Special Airplane, the owner of a unique, high-performance homebuilt aircraft, sought to modify and improve the plane's engine and aerodynamics without compromising its iconic design. To achieve this, they needed to create a highly accurate digital 3D model of the complex aircraft surfaces and engine compartment. They partnered with vendor Hexagon, whose application engineer used the Leica T-Scan handheld scanner paired with a Leica LTD700 Laser Tracker to capture the required data.

Hexagon's scanning solution digitized the entire airplane in just 16 hours, gathering over 32 million data points without the need for surface preparation or lengthy post-processing. This data was used to create a precise 3D CAD model, which enabled the design of a new engine plenum and cowling to optimize airflow and increase power. The project facilitated a partnership with a university for advanced aerodynamic analysis and provided a permanent digital blueprint of the unique aircraft. These improvements helped the Polen Special, which already held a world speed record of 303.5 mph, remain competitive in sport aviation.