AIAA Design/Build/Fly Competition
The AIAA Design/Build/Fly (DBF) is an international competition for students, organized by the
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)
in collaboration with Raytheon Technologies.
The goal is to design, build and fly an unmanned aircraft (UAV) under real conditions.
Objective of the competition
New technical requirements are published each year. The tasks are based on realistic deployment scenarios, for example:
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Transport and delivery of payloads
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Modular conversion for different missions
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Special flight maneuvers and efficiency requirements
Teams must develop an aircraft that fulfills all criteria – from theoretical design to a working prototype.
Evaluation criteria
The teams’ performance is assessed in three areas:
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Design Report – a technical report including design, calculations and construction details
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Flight Missions – practical testing under competitive conditions
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Degree of Innovation – technical quality, creativity, and feasibility of the design
Procedure
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Qualification Phase: Teams submit a comprehensive design report. Only the most compelling concepts qualify for the final round.
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Flight Competition in the USA: Qualified teams travel to the competition location to present their aircraft and carry out the specified missions.
Reputation
The AIAA DBF competition is one of the most prestigious student aviation competitions worldwide. It combines engineering theory with practical project work and fosters skills such as teamwork, systems thinking, and innovation – all crucial for the aerospace industry of tomorrow.
2025 DBF Primary sponsors:
