Background
DBVF is a student-run engineering team at UC Irvine that competes in the Vertical Flight Society’s annual Design-Build-Vertical Flight competition. Each year, university teams design, build, and fly electric vertical takeoff and landing eVTOL(electric-powered remote-control vertical take-off and landing) aircraft based on a real mission scenario.
Our members work across subteams such as airframe, avionics, and aerodynamics, all contributing to the controls, payload systems, and overall flight operations of the vehicle. Everyone gets real hands-on experience in design, fabrication, and testing as we get ready for the national fly-off held each spring in Maryland.
Design
The 2025–2026 theme is wildfire response. The mission simulates aircraft delivering “sandbag” payloads to marked zones representing wildfire hotspots, inspired by real events such as the 2025 Palisades Fire.
Our aircraft is being designed to:
- Take off and land vertically
- Fly quickly between drop zones
- Maneuver precisely during payload delivery
- Deliver payloads accurately
- Support optional autonomous flight
Goals
- Complete an eVTOL aircraft that meets all mission requirements
- Reach full flight readiness by April 2026
- Test thoroughly before competition
Timeline
Fall: Research, early design, skill training
Winter: Detailed design, manufacturing, integration
Spring: Flight testing and competition
Team Contact
Skyler Ke sdke@uci.edu
Matthew Rea mrrea@uci.edu
Advisor
Dr. Solmaz Kia (solmaz@uci.edu)