Design/Build/Fly (DBF) and other Design Competitions
The AIAA Foundation sponsors design competitions every year. These competitions offer a great opportunity for students to participate in a simulated real-world problem, allowing students to gain experience and receive useful and constructive feedback from technical experts who sit on AIAA Technical Committees.
Several of the competitions allow students to do theoretical work and gain real-world insight into the design process. Whether students are designing an aircraft, engine, or space vehicle, they will go through all of the primary design steps involved in determining a solution to a Request for Proposal (RFP). This includes determining a hypothetical solution, testing the hypothesis, evaluating its effectiveness, possibly doing some cost analysis, and finally preparing a report that will be submitted in response to the RFP. These responses are then reviewed by experts in the field who will provide constructive responses to the students.
The AIAA Foundation Design/Build/Fly (DBF) competition is a partnership between the AIAA Foundation, Cessna Aircraft Company, and Raytheon Missile Systems. This competition provides students an opportunity to design and build a radio controlled aircraft to perform specific missions. Participants who complete a Letter of Intent and submit a report on time are invited to bring their plane to a central location for a flyoff. Winners are determined by a combination of their report score and their flight score. For more information on the DBF competition, please visit www.aiaadbf.org.
The AIAA Foundation also cosponsors a CanSat competition. This competition requires students to build a small satellite with telemetry that can be launched in a rocket several thousand feet in the air. Telemetry results and presentation determine the overall winner. For more information, please visit www.cansatcompetition.com.
Design Competitions typically have monetary prizes for winners. Prizes may vary in amount based on the competition type and the funding available. Additionally, first place winners may be invited to make a presentation at an AIAA Technical Conference.
In general, Letters of Intent are due March every year, and proposals are due in June. Exceptions are the Design/Build/Fly competition and the Undergraduate Team Engine Competition. See RFP for deadlines concerning the
engine competition and the DBF website for deadlines concerning the Design/Build/Fly Competition.
This year’s competitions (2012-2013) are listed below. Show the world you've got the right stuff in design, and you may win cash prizes while you're at it!
WIN, PLACE, and SHOW!
Undergraduate Individual Aircraft Dsign Competition
Extremely Flexible Light-Weight Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)
More Info >
Undergraduate Team Aircraft Design Competition
Design of a 2030 Regional Airliner Considering Hybrid Electric Propulsion
More info >
Graduate Team Aircraft Design Competition
High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE)Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) for Missile Defense with Directed Energy (DE) Laser Weapon
More info >
Undergraduate Team Engine Design Competition
An Improved Engine for a High Altitude Long Endurance Unmanned Air Vehicle
More info >
Undergraduate Team Space Design Competition
Conceptual Design and Architecture for Space-Based Solar Power System
More info >
Undergraduate Team Space Transportation Design Competition
Design of Reusable Launch Vehicle with 10,000 to 20,000 lbm Low Earth Orbit Payload Capability
More info >
Graduate/Undergraduate Design/Build/Fly Competition
Every year the AIAA Foundation with assistance from several AIAA Technical Committees and corporate sponsors Cessna Aircraft Company and Raytheon Missile Systems, sponsors a competition for students to design and build a remote-controlled aircraft to perform specific tasks. Students then come together to face off against each other in April. For specific information about the Design/Build/Fly Competition, please visit the DBF website. Rules, team lists, external resources, and the ongoing FAQ are all maintained there.
Visit DBF website >
For more information on design competitions, please contact Rachel Andino:
Phone: 703.264.7577
Fax: 703.264.7551
Email: rachela@aiaa.org