Annual VFS Design-Build-Vertical Flight Competition

Annual DBVF Competition

Next year’s DBVF Request for Proposals (RFP) will go live by early Fall of 2025.

This electric-powered remote-control vertical take-off 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 eVTOL and advanced air mobility (AAM) 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.

A total of $5,000 in cash will be awarded.

1st Place Overall: $2,200
2nd Place Overall: $1,300
3rd Place Overall: $700
Top Score Final Technical Report: $400
Top Score Flyoff Performance: $400

Team eligibility rules include:

Team members must be full-time students and can be at undergraduate and graduate levels; at least one Faculty Advisor must be named.
The student team captain(s) and university faculty advisor(s) must be a current VFS member at the time of Letter of Intent submission — the student rate is $25/year.
- Find VFS membership information at vtol.org/membership.
Each team’s pilot must also hold an FAA Part 107 Drone Certification or equivalent certifying authority (non-US based teams).

2025 DBVF Results:

The winners of the 2025 DBVF Student Competition were

Case Western Reserve University: 1st Place Overall and Top Fly-Off
University of Akron: 2nd Place Overall
University of maryland: 3rd Place Overall
Georgia Institute of Technology: Top Final Technical Report

Fly-Off Participants:

University:	Team Name:
Auburn University	VSDDL
Case Western Reserve University	VTOL CWRU
Georgia Institute of Technology	DRXC
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University	Aggie Vertical Flight Club
North Carolina State University	Ignus Dominatus
Texas A&M University	Texas A&M Vertical Flight Design Team
University of Akron	Zips Drone Design
University of Maryland	AMAV
University of Wisconsin-Madison	Wisco Wingmen
Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology	VCAT Golden Wind
York College of Pennsylvania	Spartan VTOL

The 4th Annual Design-Build-Vertical Flight Competition was a great success!

2024 DBVF: Texas A&M Team Check out the press release and images! Download the 2024 Request for Proposal.

Texas A&M University won top honors, with prizes also going to University of Maryland, Georgia Tech and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Congratulations to all the student teams who successfully competed in the flyoff!

2023 DBVF Results

SURVICE Applied Technology Operation (ATO) — was the DBVF competition flyoff host in 2023. Check out their video summary

2023 Request for Proposal

The winners of the 2023 DBVF Student Competition were:

Auburn University: Final Technical Report
University of Maryland: Final Technical Report
McGill University: Final Technical Report

Honorable Mention:

University of Michigan

Check out the press release of the final flyoff and awards ceremony.

Congratulations to the following universities, whose Preliminary Design Report (PDR) were the top five scoring teams:

Cooper Union Aerial Vehicle Team
Delft University of Technology Lambach Aircraft Team
University of Cincinnati Verticats Team
University of Maryland Autonomous Micro Aerial Vehicle Team
University of Michigan Vertical Flight Technology Team

2022 DBVF Results

The winners of the 2022 DBVF Student Competition were:

Ohio State University: Final Technical Report
University of Maryland: Final Technical Report
Pennsylvania State University: Final Technical Report

Check out the press release and photo album of the final flyoff and awards ceremony.

Download the 2022 RFP Request for Proposal.

Congratulations to the other competing teams from this year:

McGill University
University of Michigan
Vaughn College of Aeronautics & Technology

2021 DBVF Results

The winners of the inaugural (2021) DBVF Student Competition were:

1st: University of Michigan (shown):
Final Technical Report
2nd: University of Maryland:
Final Technical Report
3rd: Ohio State University:
Final Technical Report

Honorable mentions:

McGill University
Oregon State University
Pennsylvania State University
Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology

Download the 2021 Request for Proposal.

Check out our photo gallery of the winners and read the press release to learn more. Congrats to all the teams for perservance through all the challenges of design and development during the COVID-19 pandemic!

Thank you to our 2025 host!

Host Sponsor