2025-2026

The 2025–2026 competition challenges teams to design, build, and demonstrate the flight capabilities of a banner towing bush plane. Teams will take on the role of developing and operating a charter service to pay for the airplane while also starting a banner towing business. To succeed, the airplane must balance high performance with good handling qualities, reliability, manufacturability, and affordability.

The aircraft must be powered by an electric propulsion system and use propellers driven by commercially available motors. No autopilots, flight controllers, GPS systems, or cameras are permitted; the airplane must be manually flown by the pilot at all times. The airplane must be capable of performing all three flight missions and a ground demonstration while remaining within the required design limits. Each airplane must have a maximum wingspan of five feet, and its cost will be rated using the official Rated Airplane Cost (RAC) equation. At least one passenger compartment and one cargo compartment are required, and the design must be capable of carrying at least three passengers for every piece of cargo carried.

The overall challenge is framed around real-world operations. In Mission 1, the airplane must demonstrate baseline flight performance. In Mission 2, the airplane operates as a charter service carrying passengers and cargo, simulating revenue flights. In Mission 3, the airplane transitions into banner towing, deploying and releasing a banner in flight to advertise the team’s university. Finally, the ground mission demonstrates that the airplane can be assembled, loaded, and prepared quickly and efficiently in a simulated operational environment. Success in the competition will depend on designing an aircraft that is versatile, robust, and efficient while still being capable of completing these tasks safely within the competition constraints.

Ground Mission 

The ground mission may be attempted at any time during the competition and may be reattempted once after completion to improve the score. It is a timed demonstration that simulates the operational aspects of charter and banner operations without the propulsion system installed. The mission begins with the airplane in flight configuration inside a ten-foot by ten-foot staging box, along with the uninstalled passengers, cargo, and banner. All assembly and loading must be completed with the airplane upright on its landing gear, and the airplane cannot be rotated or picked up during the process.

Two team members participate in this event: the pilot and the assembly crew member. Only the assembly crew member is permitted to touch the airplane. The mission proceeds in several stages. First, the pilot demonstrates that the flight controls are active. Then, the assembly crew member loads the passengers and cargo, secures them with restraints, and returns across the start/finish line to stop the timer. The pilot again demonstrates control functionality before the assembly crew member removes the passengers and cargo, installs the banner in its stowed configuration, and again returns across the line. The pilot repeats the control demonstration, and finally, the airplane is held vertically while the pilot demonstrates banner deployment and release.

Mission 1 

The first mission verifies the airplane’s ability to safely fly and land. There is no payload for this mission. The airplane must complete three laps within a five-minute flight window. Time begins when the throttle is first advanced for takeoff, and laps are counted each time the airplane crosses the start/finish line in flight. A successful landing must be completed for the mission to receive credit.

Mission 2 

The second mission simulates charter operations carrying passengers and cargo. The passengers are rubber ducks, approximately 2.3 inches in size, which must be carried upright and vertical in a single passenger compartment parallel to the horizontal plane. Passengers are loaded individually through a door or hatch that only provides access to the passenger compartment, and they must be fully restrained to prevent any movement during flight. The cargo consists of standard hockey pucks, each carried in a separate cargo bay from the passengers. Cargo bays must be separated from the passenger area and other cargo bays by solid bulkheads or floors, and each bay may only have one door or hatch. Cargo must also be restrained to prevent movement, although orientation and placement inside the bay are unrestricted. 

Teams declare the maximum payload at technical inspection and may not exceed this number during flights. During the mission, the airplane has a five-minute window to complete laps while carrying the selected payload. Laps are counted each time the airplane crosses the start/finish line, and a successful landing is required to earn a score.

Mission 3

The final flight mission demonstrates the airplane’s ability to tow and release a banner in flight. The banner must be at least ten inches long with a maximum aspect ratio of five, meaning that the length cannot exceed five times the height. For the required ten-inch minimum length, the minimum height is two inches. The banner must display the team’s university name or logo on both sides.

The banner must be stowed compactly and externally for takeoff, without interfering with flight controls or contacting the ground. It must be deployed in flight after the first upwind turn, remain vertical during towing, and then be released by remote command after crossing the finish line. Teams may bring up to two banners for inspection, but no new banners may be added after passing technical inspection.

The flight window for this mission is five minutes, beginning when the throttle is first advanced for takeoff. Laps are counted at the start/finish line, and a successful landing is required for the mission to be valid.

Aircraft Requirements

The aircraft must have a wingspan no greater than five feet, with the Rated Airplane Cost (RAC) calculated using the equation RAC = 0.05 × wingspan (ft) + 0.75, with a minimum allowable RAC of 0.90. The airplane must include a single passenger compartment and at least one cargo compartment, and it must be capable of carrying three passengers for each piece of cargo declared at technical inspection. The maximum takeoff gross weight is 55 pounds, and proof of flight demonstrating controlled straight and level flight must be presented at technical inspection.

The aircraft must be propeller-driven, electrically powered, and use only commercially available brushed or brushless motors. Multiple motors and propellers are allowed, and folding propellers may be used, but all blades must be commercially produced. The propulsion energy is limited to 100 watt-hours total, and each propulsion system may only use one battery pack. If multiple propulsion systems are used, each must have an identical battery pack with its own fuse. A separate battery is required for the receiver and servos.

All aircraft must have an externally accessible arming fuse that serves as the primary safing device for the propulsion system, as well as a separate, externally accessible switch for the radio system. No autopilot systems, flight controllers, onboard GPS, or cameras are permitted. The airplane must remain consistent with the configuration presented in the design report, with only minor adjustments allowed to improve performance.