Design Build Fly

The DBF team provides real-world aircraft design experience for engineering students by giving them the opportunity to validate their analytic studies. Student teams will design, fabricate, and demonstrate the flight capabilities of an unmanned, electric powered, radio controlled aircraft which can best meet the specified mission profile. The goal is a balanced design possessing good demonstrated flight handling qualities and practical and affordable manufacturing requirements while providing a high vehicle performance.

To encourage innovation and maintain a fresh design challenge for each new years participants, the design requirements and performance objective will be updated each year. The changes will provide new design requirements and opportunities, while allowing for application of technology developed by the teams from prior years.

Officers
Matthew Maddalon(Project Manager)
matthewmaddalon@ufl.edu

Bryce Moran(Chief Design Engineer)
brycemoran@ufl.edu

Kevin Cochran(Treasurer)
cochrank1@ufl.edu

Matt Lutton(Structures Lead)
Lutton.matthew@ufl.edu

Ryan Mattson(Aerodynamics Lead)
ryanmattson@ufl.edu

Jack Combes(Systems Lead)
jcombes@ufl.edu

Colin Williams(Manufacturing Lead)
colin.williams@ufl.edu

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2020 DBF Rules and Vehicle Design

Aircraft Requirements - General

The aircraft may be of any configuration except rotary wing or lighter-than-air.
No structure/components may be dropped from the aircraft during flight.
No form of externally assisted take-off is allowed. All energy for take-off must come from the on-board propulsion battery pack(s).
Must be propeller driven and electric powered with an unmodified over-the-counter model electric motor. May use multiple motors and/or propellers. May be direct drive or with gear or belt reduction.
Motors may be any commercial brush or brushless electric motor.
For safety, each aircraft will use a commercially produced propeller/blades. Must use a commercially available propeller hub/pitch mechanism. Teams may modify the propeller diameter by clipping the tip and may paint the blades to balance the propeller. No other modifications to the propeller are allowed. Commercial ducted fan units are allowed.
You can change the propeller diameter/pitch for each flight attempt.
Motors and batteries may be limited in current draw by means of a fuse in the line from the positive battery terminal to the motor controller. There is no set limit on the fuse rating. If used, it is the responsibility of each team to properly size the fuse to protect the battery, motor, and controller against overcurrents from any source.
- Fuse(s) must be located such that no propulsion system component: motor; motor controller; or battery may see more current than the stated limit (fuse value).
- Fuse must be placed in the positive (+) lead from the battery, and should be as close to the battery(s) as feasible.
Must use over the counter NiCad or NiMH batteries. LiPo batteries are not allowed. For safety, battery packs must have shrink-wrap or other protection over all electrical contact points. The individual cells must be commercially available and the manufacturers label must be readable/documented (i.e. clear shrink wrap preferred). All battery disconnects must be "fully insulated" style connectors.
There is no limit to battery pack weight this year. The propulsion battery pack must power propulsion systems only. Radio Rx and servos MUST be on a separate battery pack. Batteries may not be changed or charged during a flight mission attempt.
Aircraft and pilot must be AMA legal. This means that the aircraft TOGW (take-off gross weight with payload) must be less than 55-lb, and the pilot must be a member of the AMA.
Since this is an AMA sanctioned event, the team must submit proof that the aircraft has been flown prior to the contest date (in flight photo) to the technical inspection team. We will provide qualified pilots at the contest on an as-available basis to assist teams who are unable to have their pilot attend.
The aircraft must remain substantially the same as documented in the report (for example you can not change a flying wing design to a conventional tail design). You may make small modifications to the design to improve flight performance after the report submission (one example would be changing a control surface size). The three-view drawing supplied in pdf form as described below in the electronic report section will be used to verify the flight article during tech inspection.

https://www.aiaa.org/dbf/competition-information/rules-resources

2014/2015 UF Design/Build/Fly Competition Final Results
Overall Placement: 44/84
Report Score: 89.5
Report Placement: 26/84

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