Overview
This year, a team of Carleton University engineering students is taking on the top collegiate aircraft design competition in the world: the AIAA Design/Build/Fly Competition.
Our team is designing, building, testing, and flying a custom electric-powered UAV entirely within the 2026-27 academic year. The project brings together ten fourth-year Aerospace Engineering capstone students, supported by underclassmen through the Carleton AIAA Student Branch. Together, we are advancing our engineering knowledge gained from the classroom into a fully functional aircraft.
This year’s competition presents a unique engineering challenge. Our aircraft must complete three flight missions and one ground mission while carrying mission-specific payloads and deploying and recovering a towed sensor during flight. The final aircraft must balance aerodynamic performance, structural integrity, propulsion, electronics, manufacturability, reliability, and safety.
Our work will culminate at the AIAA Design/Build/Fly Fly-Off in Tucson, Arizona, from April 15-18, 2027, where we will represent Carleton University alongside more than 100 university teams and over 1,000 students.
The Background
Our cause is providing Carleton engineering students with the opportunity to turn classroom knowledge into real-world aerospace engineering experience.
Design/Build/Fly challenges students to go beyond calculations, simulations, and coursework. We take real engineering decisions, manufacture the components we design, test whether they perform as expected, identify failures, make improvements, and ultimately demonstrate our aircraft in flight.
The project also creates opportunities beyond our ten-person capstone team. Through the Carleton AIAA Student Branch, younger students can become involved in aircraft manufacturing, testing, technical activities, and outreach, connecting them to the broader engineering community and contributing to their academic growth. Our team hopes to help strengthen this pathway for future Carleton students to undertake similar design projects by providing them with the tools and resources to succeed.
By supporting our campaign, donors are not simply helping us build an aircraft, they are helping Carleton students develop the practical skills, teamwork, confidence, and experience required to become the next generation of Canadian aerospace engineers.
The Rollout
Every contribution will directly support the design, manufacturing, testing, and competition activities required to turn our aircraft from concept into a flight-ready system.
Our initial budget includes purchasing materials required to build the aircraft such as airframe and composite materials, aircraft and sensor electronics, propulsion and radio-control components, testing equipment, tools, and other supplies. Following acceptance into the competition, additional funding will help our team reach the AIAA Design/Build/Fly Fly-off in Tucson. These expenses include transporting the aircraft and equipment, travel and accommodations for student team members, and promotional material required to represent ourselves and donors at the competition.
Whether a donation helps purchase carbon fiber, an electric motor, or helps get a student and our aircraft to Tucson, every contribution brings us one step closer to the start line.
The Impact
For students directly involved, Design/Build/Fly provides an opportunity to experience the complete engineering lifecycle. It gives students the opportunity to learn about various engineering disciplines that make up an aircraft and apply their classwork.
The project also contributes to the continued development of Carleton’s aerospace community. Our team works alongside the Carleton AIAA Student Branch, which seeks to encourage and support student engagement in aerospace-related activities such as design competitions, other design teams, guest speakers, and community-building events. Knowledge gained from this year’s aircraft can be passed to younger students and future Design/Build/Fly teams, helping build a stronger foundation for Carleton’s future participation in international aerospace competitions.