The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) hosts an annual competition sponsored by Cessna and Raytheon. Competition is an international endeavor, with over 100 teams submitting proposals and hoping for a spot to compete. This competition offers real-world experience and an opportunity to validate analytical studies. There are cash prizes included for the top three positions.

Request for Proposal (RFP): Each year, the design requirements and performance objectives are updated to encourage innovation. A short proposal, about five pages, is submitted by the end of October that details the plans for our aircraft following the guidelines set by the sponsors in the RFP. Proposals are graded by the end of November, and we receive feedback in early December, at which point we begin working on our report. AIAA ranks teams based on proposal scores, and the top ~110 teams are invited to compete.

Reports: As we begin the design and manufacturing process, we may notice that certain design choices are more effective than others, and we will need to make necessary adjustments to our original plan. These adaptations can make the aircraft lighter and/or faster, which is typically at least one of the mission specifications. Reports are due in February, and scores are released a few days before the competition in mid-April, along with flight line order. Flight line order is determined by the proposal and report scores, with 15% of the total score attributed to the proposal and 85% to the report. The highest report score will receive first place in the flight line.

At competition: Teams fly the missions specified in the RFP: tech inspection, ground mission, mission 1, mission 2, and mission 3. The actions performed in these missions change each year and depend on what the sponsors request in the RFP. For missions 2 and 3, the scores are normalized based on the team with the fastest time. For Mission 2, the score is normalized between 1 and 2, but Mission 3 is normalized between 2 and 3.