The Mission  

Our primary mission every year is to perform well in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics's (AIAA) annual Design, Build, Fly competition. We also strive to uphold RPI’s reputation as a university that produces top quality engineers by teaching our members how to approach engineering problems.

What You’re Supporting  

In 2025, we're looking to surpass our historical 11th place finish last year. Already this year, we’ve scored 5th place with our design proposal, and submitted a 60-page technical report, which our faculty advisor has called "the most in-depth report RPI DBF has ever produced." With a capable engineering team, a dedicated administrative body, and many committed members, we’re eager to compete with the best in the world.

By donating to RPI DBF, you allow us to acquire more powerful electronics and score beyond our past means. You empower our team members to pursue high-complexity, high-reward designs, develop in-house composite manufacturing knowledge, and travel to the yearly competition to network with other like-minded, rising engineers and various sponsors of the competition.

The knowledge gained by being a participating member of RPI DBF is incredibly important towards developing skills needed to become successful engineers. From problem-analysis to design optimization, from engineering software to technical writing, an overwhelming majority of the RPI DBF team cites their experience with us as key areas that have supported them in their careers. Many alumni of the team have gone on to work in high-profile companies such as Boeing and L3Harris, with even more members finding internships with Textron, Collins, and Lockheed Martin. Through support of RPI DBF, you can support the next generation of aeronautical engineers. Help us take to the skies like never before!

Who We Are

RPI Design Build Fly (DBF) is a collegiate design team focused on creating remote-controlled aircraft to compete in the annual American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Design/Build/Fly competition. The event, this year held in Tucson Arizona, attracts over 120 teams from premier aeronautical universities around the world vying to create and fly the best plane.

Throughout the year, the team performs a three phase (conceptual, preliminary, detailed) design process modeled off of industry practices. During this time, we use powerful software for shape optimization, stability analysis, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), CAD modeling, finite element analysis (FEA), and more!

Physical testing is performed throughout the whole process, including propulsions testing, wind tunnel testing, structural testing, and of course, flight testing. After no less than three prototypes each year, the result is an aircraft representative of the hard work, skills, and ceaseless effort put in by our talented engineering team over more than eight months.

Stay up to date with the progress our team makes by following RPI DBF on Instagram (@rpidbf) and LinkedIn. If you have any questions, send us an email at rpidbf@gmail.com.