2025-2026

To see the rules from directly from AIAA, go to the AIAA Website!

The 2025–2026 competition challenged teams to design, build, and demonstrate the flight capabilities of a banner towing bush plane. Teams took 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 had to balance high performance with good handling qualities, reliability, manufacturability, and affordability.

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

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

Ground Mission

The ground mission could be attempted at any time during the competition and was allowed to be repeated once to improve the score. It was a timed demonstration simulating operational procedures without the propulsion system installed. The mission began with the airplane in flight configuration inside a ten-foot by ten-foot staging box, along with uninstalled passengers, cargo, and a banner.

All assembly and loading were completed with the airplane upright on its landing gear, which remained in contact with the ground at all times. Only the designated assembly crew member was permitted to physically interact with the airplane, while the pilot was allowed to actuate systems using the RC controller when needed.

The mission proceeded in several stages. First, the pilot demonstrated that the flight controls were functional. The assembly crew member then loaded the passengers and cargo individually, ensuring they were properly restrained. Passengers were required to be loaded and unloaded one at a time, and no speed-loading methods or pre-loaded restraint systems were permitted. Payloads could not be modified, adhered to, or restrained internally; all restraint methods had to be external and mechanically secured.

After loading, the assembly crew member returned across the start/finish line to stop the timer. The pilot again demonstrated control functionality before the payload was removed, one item at a time. The banner system was then installed as part of the timed mission; no portion of the banner deployment system was allowed to be pre-installed before the mission began.

The banner started the mission fully unfurled and flat, and any folding or rolling required for stowage was completed during the timed portion. After installation, the pilot demonstrated control functionality. Finally, the airplane was held horizontally for banner deployment and vertically for release.

Mission 1

Mission 1 verified the airplane’s ability to safely take off, fly, and land. No payload was carried during this mission. The airplane completed three laps within a five-minute flight window, with timing beginning when the throttle was first advanced for takeoff. Laps were counted each time the airplane crossed the start/finish line in flight. A successful landing was required for the mission to be valid. 

Mission 2

Mission 2 simulated charter operations involving passengers and cargo. Passengers consisted of rubber ducks, which were required to be carried upright in a single passenger compartment. The ducks were allowed to contact one another and internal surfaces, but they could not be separated into isolated sections by bulkheads or partitions. All passengers had to be loaded individually directly into the aircraft, and no pre-loaded trays or external loading devices were allowed.

Passengers were restrained using external restraint systems that prevented translation or rotation without damaging or modifying the payload. Cargo consisted of hockey pucks, each placed in a separate cargo bay isolated by solid bulkheads. A removable cargo holding fixture was permitted for loading cargo, but no other speed-loading methods were allowed.

Batteries, electronics, and wiring were not permitted inside the passenger compartment but could be located elsewhere in the aircraft. Teams declared their payload at technical inspection and were not allowed to exceed it. The airplane completed laps within a five-minute window, and a successful landing was required.

Mission 3

Mission 3 demonstrated the airplane’s ability to tow and release a banner in flight. The banner was required to be rectangular, made of solid fabric, and include a solid border on all edges. No holes, mesh materials, streamers, or external attachments were permitted, although slits were allowed provided no material was removed and the logo remained legible. The banner displayed the university name or logo on both sides.

Rigging and tow attachments were required to connect only at the leading edge of the banner and could include rigid components, but they could not extend past the leading edge. All rigging and tow components were required to be released as a single unit with the banner.

The banner was stowed externally for takeoff and could be partially recessed into the aircraft, provided the recess was part of the permanent configuration and remained open to the airstream. No covers or fairings were permitted over the recess.

The banner was deployed in flight after the first upwind turn, remained approximately vertical during towing, and was released by command after crossing the finish line. There was no minimum altitude requirement for release, though the final determination of acceptable banner behavior was made by the flight director.

Aircraft Requirements

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

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

All aircraft had an externally accessible arming fuse that served 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 were permitted. The airplane remained consistent with the configuration presented in the design report, with only minor adjustments allowed to improve performance.

Scores

With a proposal score of 78 and a design score of 86.5, our overall report score was 85.24, which placed us at number 15 in the flight line. We received a score of 0.07 on the ground mission, a score of 1.00 on Mission 1, a score of 1.15 on Mission 2, and a score of 2.58 on Mission 3. Our total mission score was a 4.80. 

Our overall score was 411.83, putting us in 9th place!!