“Started in 1996 by the AIAA Applied Aerodynamics, Aircraft Design, Design Engineering and Flight Test Technical Committees as an opportunity for university students to apply real-world aircraft design experience by giving them the opportunity to validate their analytic studies.

Student teams will design, fabricate, and demonstrate the flight capabilities of an unmanned, electric powered, radio-controlled aircraft which can best meet the specified mission profile. The goal is a balanced design possessing good demonstrated flight handling qualities and practical and affordable manufacturing requirements while providing a high vehicle performance.

To encourage innovation and maintain a fresh design challenge for each new year’s participants, the design requirements and performance objective will be updated for each new contest year. The changes will provide new design requirements and opportunities, while allowing for application of technology developed by the teams from prior years.”

– National AIAA Website

Benefits

• This competition offers students the opportunity to apply their analytical studies to real-world aircraft design
• Working in teams to design, fabricate, and test controlled aircraft can enhance students’ teamwork and collaboration skills.
• With changing design requirements and performance objectives each year, this competition encourages innovative thinking and challenges participants to come up with new and creative solutions.
• Opportunities to network with industry professionals, professors, and peers, which can be valuable for future career opportunities and collaborations.
• Apply technology developed by prior years’ teams.

Team Information

AIAA Announces 2023 AIAA Design/Build/Fly Draft Rules and Mission

“Teams are invited to participate in the 27th Design/Build/Fly competition, hosted by Raytheon Technologies in Tucson, AZ. The mission for 2023 is to design, build and test an aircraft to execute electronic warfare (EW) missions. Flight missions will include staging of the aircraft, surveillance, and jamming. The goal is a balanced design possessing good demonstrated flight handling qualities and practical and affordable manufacturing requirements while providing a high vehicle performance.”

– National AIAA Website

Join Us

To register for the Design/Build/Fly Competition, students must go through Make to Innovate, a hands-on lab provided by the Iowa State University Aerospace Engineering Department. If you are a freshman or sophomore, you can sign up for AER E 294, while juniors and seniors can sign up for AER E 494. It’s important to register for these courses as soon as possible, as registration is required to participate in the competition.

Make to Innovate is an excellent resource for students interested in gaining practical experience in aerospace engineering. Through this program, students have access to cutting-edge equipment and technology, as well as expert guidance from industry professionals and experienced professors.

To learn more about Make to Innovate and how to register, visit the following website here. Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to apply your skills and knowledge to real-world aircraft design challenges!