Design/Build/Fly
Background
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.
Goal and Objectives
Our goal for this project is to stow, deploy, and tow the banner successfully whilst fulfilling all AIAA competition requirements. Integration of the mechanism to the rest of the plane is crucial to ensure stable flight and minimized overall drag of the main airplane. Thus, communication with the ENGRMAE 93 team is vital to the success of the overall plane to maximize points at the 30th Annual AIAA Design/Build/Fly competition.
- Complete Preliminary Design: November 14th, 2025
- Banner Tow Test: December 8th, 2025
- 1st Flight Test: December 15th, 2025
- 2nd Flight Test: February 9th, 2026
- 3rd Flight Test: March 23rd, 2026
- Finalize design before competition: April 3rd, 2026
- AIAA competition dates: April 16th-19th, 2026
More Information
Our RC aircraft will tow a 15 ft by 3 ft banner displaying “UCI.” The banner will be stowed by folding it into a compact compartment equipped with slide-opening doors. Deployment will be accomplished through a servo-actuated sliding-pin mechanism that disengages a lock to release the banner from the compartment. Final release will occur via remote command, using a separate servo-actuated sliding-pin lock that detaches the banner from the towline.
Documentation
Some of our most recent presentations can be found below:
Team Website
Feel free to visit our team website: https://sites.uci.edu/ucidbf/
Contact Information:
Feel free to contact us via our team email: dbfatuci@gmail.com
Or individually to any of our members below:
- Gavin Fujimoto: gfujimot@uci.edu
- Rebecca Hong: rmhong1@uci.edu
- Erin Lee: ealee3@uci.edu
- Elizabeth Mui: muied@uci.edu
- Marcus Osorio: osoriomj@uci.edu
- Yvonne Yu: yvonnehy@uci.edu
Project Advisor
Professor Jacqueline Huynh: huynhlj@uci.edu