Design of a Banner Towing and Release Mechanism for Competition RC Aircraft

Summary

UCI Design/Build/Fly (DBF) began in 2004, competing in that year’s AIAA competition with only 37 teams participating. Since then, the team has grown tremendously in both membership and technical sophistication. Today, UCI DBF competes against over 100 international teams, tackling new and complex design challenges each year. The team is composed of passionate students from various engineering disciplines who work together to design, manufacture, and test a fully functional remote-controlled aircraft that meets the competition’s unique mission requirements. Beyond the competition, UCI DBF provides students with hands-on experience in aerodynamics, structures, controls, electronics, and project management, preparing them for future careers in the aerospace and engineering industries.

Our team focuses on Mission 3 of the upcoming DBF competition, where we are required to stow, deploy, tow, and release a banner displaying our university logo. The primary problem this project addresses is the challenge of performing this sequence reliably on a small unmanned aircraft without compromising flight stability, structural integrity, or aerodynamic efficiency. Towing a 3 ft × 15 ft banner introduces significant drag and potential instability, especially during deployment and release, creating a need for a compact, lightweight, and precise mechanism that can securely restrain the banner, deploy it smoothly on command, and fully release it without failure.

This project matters because the success of the banner deployment system directly impacts mission performance, safety, and overall competition scoring. A poorly designed system could lead to failed deployment, loss of control, or structural issues, while a well-designed system demonstrates strong engineering integration and innovation. Those affected include our engineering team and collaborating subteams, such as ENGRMAE 93, who depend on seamless system integration, as well as competition judges evaluating performance and reliability. More broadly, this project reflects real-world aerospace challenges in payload deployment systems, making it relevant to future engineers and industry applications.

Technical Approach/Methodology

We are solving this problem by designing a compact, lightweight mechanism that securely holds the banner during flight and releases it in a controlled sequence using small electronically controlled motors called servos. The banner is stored in a rolled configuration beneath the aircraft and restrained by sliding pins, which are actuated by the servos when deployment is commanded by the pilot. This allows the banner to smoothly unroll and trail behind the plane, followed by a final release mechanism that fully detaches it when needed. To ensure the system works reliably without disrupting flight stability, we are using a combination of computer-aided design (CAD) tools for precise modeling, lightweight materials for structural efficiency, and iterative prototyping and flight testing to refine performance. We also coordinate closely with other subteams to ensure the mechanism integrates seamlessly with the aircraft’s structure and control systems, resulting in a solution that is both functional and aerodynamically efficient.

Outcomes

By the end of the project, we will have produced a fully functional and flight-tested banner deployment system integrated into our RC aircraft, capable of reliably stowing, towing, deploying, and releasing a 3 ft × 15 ft banner in accordance with AIAA competition requirements. Key deliverables include a complete CAD model and detailed engineering drawings of the mechanism, a fabricated and assembled prototype using lightweight materials, and a fully integrated system mounted to the aircraft. We will also produce documented test results from multiple ground and flight tests, demonstrating successful deployment and release under realistic operating conditions. Additional deliverables include control system integration with servo actuation, a finalized design validated through iterative testing, and comprehensive documentation for the design binder and competition presentation. Overall, the project will result in a validated, competition-ready system that meets performance requirements and showcases effective multidisciplinary engineering design.

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