Creativity, Design, and Rapid Manufacturing Made 鈥楻aven鈥� Structurally Advanced Aircraft听听
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Khalifa University鈥檚 student-built 鈥楻aven鈥� aircraft made an impressive display during the 29th Annual American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Design/Build/Fly (DBF) Competition, the most prestigious international competition for building and flying remote-controlled aircraft that was held in Tucson, Arizona, US.听
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Team 鈥楢ERONYX鈥�, comprising 36 Aerospace Engineering students and guided by Dr. Rafic Ajaj, Associate Professor, and co-supervised by Dr. Ashraf Alkhateeb, Assistant Professor, and Professor Yahya Zweiri, Director, Advanced Research and Innovation Center (ARIC), designed and built the 鈥楻aven鈥�, a structurally advanced, remote-controlled aircraft. This year鈥檚 DBF challenge required teams to develop an unmanned, electric-powered aircraft with a focus on structural performance and mission efficiency. The team proudly secured 36th place out of 112 teams.听
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The flight objective for AIAA DBF 2025 held from 10 -13 April, was to design, build, and test an airplane to execute an X-1 Supersonic Flight Test Program, including the launch of an X-1 test vehicle 鈥� an autonomous glider with flashing lights. Teams also conducted a timed ground mission demonstration of the X-1 Flight Test Program. The goal was to possess a balanced design, good demonstrated flight handling qualities, and practical and affordable manufacturing requirements, while providing a high vehicle performance.听听
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Led by student Hamad Almaeeni, the team optimized Raven for coordination, performance, and mission success. Avionics lead Alyazia Al Khemeiri installed the electronics and selected and tested the propulsion system to deliver high thrust with great efficiency, enabling Raven to complete five laps and launch the X-1 test vehicle into the bonus zone. The aircraft鈥檚 lightweight and robust frame was designed and built by Rashid Althli, Sultan Alhammadi, and Shooq Alkaf. Mohamed Elmubarak and Saeed Al Marzooqi co-designed the X-1 deployable aircraft, which performed a 180-degree maneuver and a controlled spiraling descent, landing in a designated area with flashlights that are activated immediately upon deployment. The pilot鈥檚 precision during critical flight operations was vital to the execution of Missions 2 and 3. The team鈥檚 participation was sponsored by Mubadala Investment Company.听
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Dr. Ajaj (Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering) said: 鈥淜halifa University鈥檚 Raven successfully completed the ground mission as well as all three flight missions. The strategic combination of creativity, design, and rapid manufacturing gave Raven a competitive edge and few other teams managed to deliver such structurally advanced aircraft while maintaining low weight. Also notable this year was the use of 3D-printed components, a creative and resourceful approach by the Khalifa University team. Our students鈥� efforts were truly commendable.鈥�
Clarence Michael
English Editor – Specialist听
