Vertical Flight Society Announces Design-Build-Vertical Flight Student Competition
September 25, 2020 | PR NewswireEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS) announces the details of the inaugural Design-Build-Vertical Flight (DBVF) Student Competition. This electric-powered remote-control vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) competition seeks to encourage interest in unmanned aircraft technology, and small air vehicle design and fabrication. The competition is designed to develop hands-on skills and familiarization with electric VTOL and urban air mobility (UAM) technology at the university student level and prepare the next generation of engineers and leaders to push the limits of this exciting technology into the future.
The inaugural DBVF competition is the successor to the annual VFS Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) Student Competition. The highly successful MAV competitions began in 2013 and expanded over eight years from a 1.1 lb (500 g) gross weight to 3 lb (1.4 kg), with increasingly challenging levels of mission complexity.
The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) Army Research Laboratory (ARL) is the platinum sponsor and the host for the first DBVF competition. The flyoff competition will be held at ARL’s Robotics Research Collaboration Campus (R2C2) at Graces Quarters in Maryland on April 16–17, 2021.
The general aircraft requirements are restricted to the unmanned aircraft system (UAS) Group 1, which limits the maximum take-off weight (MTOW) to no more than 20 lb (9.1 kg). Aircraft size and weight will factor into the competition. To participate, five-page proposals must be submitted by student teams no later than Oct. 15, 2020. Full details, including the request for proposal (RFP), frequently asked questions (FAQ), links and more are available on the competition website.
A total of $5,000 in cash awards will be given in two rounds: $1,000 for submission of the three best preliminary design reports in December, and $4,000 in awards for the top three teams during the flyoff competition in April. Additional sponsors are welcome.
The Vertical Flight Society encourages universities from around the world to form teams and take part in this exciting and challenging competition, which is conducted to promote student interest in VTOL engineering and technology, and to attract the best and brightest engineering students to the vertical flight industry.
VFS is the world’s premier VTOL technical society and conducts extensive educational activities. In addition to the world’s largest and longest running VTOL technology conference (this year’s 76th Annual Forum & Technology Display will be held virtually on Oct. 5-8, 2020), VFS leads science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) outreach activities, conducts the annual collegiate VFS Student Design Competition and provides extensive educational resources for students and professional development.
Since it was founded as the American Helicopter Society in 1943, VFS has been a major force in the advancement of vertical flight. The Society is the global resource for information on VTOL technology. For more than 75 years, VFS has provided global leadership for scientific, technical, educational and legislative initiatives that advance the state of the art of vertical flight.
Suggested Items
Intel Brings AI-Platform Innovation to Life at the Olympic Games
04/18/2024 | BUSINESS WIREIntel announced its plans for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024. Bringing AI Everywhere, Intel will implement artificial intelligence technology powered by Intel processors on the world’s biggest stage.
Adura Solutions Exhibits at Delmar 2024
04/18/2024 | Adura SolutionsSumit Tomar CEO of Adura Solutions has announced that his company will be exhibiting at this years Delmar Electronics and Manufacturing Show to be held at the Delmar Fairgrounds, San Diego, California April 24-25.
Australian Flow Batteries and The SCHMID Group Announce Groundbreaking Memorandum of Understanding
04/17/2024 | SCHMID GroupAustralian Flow Batteries Pty Ltd (AFB), a leader in innovative energy solutions and economical, safe, and reliable power storage, and SCHMID Energy Systems GmbH a company of the German SCHMID Group, a global technology leader with a rich history in delivering innovative solutions across multiple industries including Electronics, Renewables, and Energy Storage sectors, are thrilled to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
Ansys Joins BAE Systems’ Mission Advantage Program to Advance Digital Engineering Across US Department of Defense
04/16/2024 | ANSYSAnsys announced it is working with BAE Systems, Inc., to accelerate the adoption of digital engineering and MBSE across the Department of Defense (DoD).
Microchip Technology Acquires Neuronix AI Labs
04/16/2024 | Microchip Technology Inc.Innovative technology enhances AI-enabled intelligent edge solutions and increases neural networking capabilities.