Design, Build & Fly (DBF) is an annual aircraft competition organized by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). Its goal is for students worldwide to test their knowledge, skills, and innovation in the aerospace sector by designing, building, and flying an unmanned, radio-controlled aircraft that meets the mission profile focused on current and relevant issues.

In 2024, the competition's 28th edition took place in Wichita, KS, USA. The mission for that year involved designing, building, testing, and flying an aircraft focused on urban air mobility. The challenges included demonstrating aircraft control and stability, completing the maximum number of laps in 5 minutes with the highest number of passengers on board, completing 3 laps with the maximum possible weight, and, finally, a ground mission demonstrating configuration change efficiency. Additionally, the aircraft had to take off within 20 feet, have a parking configuration that could fit within 2.5 feet of width, and a maximum wingspan of 5 feet.

The Icarus team from the University of Antioquia represented with their aircraft named Dumbo: a canard configuration aircraft with a quadcopter design and tiltable engines, which stood out due to its unconventional design. The team captured the attention of participants, organizers, and spectators, all excited by Dumbo's flight. Despite financial constraints, the team achieved 21st place among 107 universities worldwide, surpassing institutions that were considered a reference in past editions of DBF.

The Icarus team is actively preparing for the 29th edition of the DBF, which will take place in April 2025 in Tucson, AZ, USA. For this edition, the challenge involves designing and manufacturing an aircraft capable of performing high-speed flight tests, deploying aerial vehicles from a mothership, carrying the maximum weight in bottles simulating fuel tanks, and conducting an autonomous flight.

Below, you can see our aircraft, Dumbo, which participated in 'Design, Build, Fly - 2024'.