Khalifa University has demonstrated consistent excellence and competitive spirit in the Design Build Fly (DBF) competition hosted by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). Teams from Khalifa University have repeatedly showcased their engineering skills on an international stage since 2012. Each year, participating student teams are given a set of design requirements and constraints. They must then create an aircraft that meets these specifications while optimising factors such as payload capacity, range, and flight performance. The competition includes a series of challenges that test the aircraft’s capabilities.
Khalifa University has achieved remarkable placements, reflecting its dedication to engineering innovation and education. The university’s teams claimed a 7th place award in 2014, a testament to their skill and engineering abilities. More recently, they secured the 9th position, further establishing their reputation for engineering excellence. These achievements highlight Khalifa University’s commitment to fostering a practical learning environment that prepares students for real-world engineering challenges. May the best plane win!
Team noavero conducted their first test flight
Team Novaero has submitted the design report
Team noavero conducted their second test flight
Team noavero conducted their third test flight
The 2023-2024 Design/Build/Fly Competition will celebrate its 28th year. 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 years 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.
Rules and Regulation
