Aerodominator

Overview

Aerodominator 12.0 is a collegiate-level aerodesign competition that challenges teams to design, build, test, and fly a fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to complete a rapid-response aerial mission.

Teams must balance payload capacity, aircraft weight, aerodynamic efficiency, stability, safety, reliability, and mission completion time while complying with the prescribed technical requirements.

Mission

Each team must design and operate a fixed-wing UAV that:

• Takes off from the designated launch zone.
• Carries a water payload.
• Accurately releases the payload into a 10 m × 10 m target zone.
• Maintains stable flight for at least 30 seconds.
• Completes the mission in minimum time.
• Lands safely without major damage.

Event Rounds

Round 1 – Setup & Technical Check

Day 1 | 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Teams will assemble and prepare their aircraft for competition. A Technical and Safety Inspection will be conducted to verify:

• Aircraft dimensions and weight
• Thrust-to-weight ratio
• Propulsion system
• Centre of Gravity (CG)
• Payload arrangement
• Failsafe mechanism
• Safety requirements
• Submitted design documentation

Round 2 – Free Practice & Testing

Day 1 | 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Teams will have a free practice and testing session to evaluate:

• Aircraft handling and stability
• Launch procedures
• Payload release
• Landing performance
• Overall mission execution

The official competition pilot will not be available during this session. Teams are responsible for their own pilot during practice.

Round 3 – Competitive Flight Rounds

Day 2 | 9:00 AM onwards

Before each flight, the aircraft must pass the Technical and Safety Inspection and obtain a valid Flight Ticket.

Each team is allowed a maximum of three flight attempts. The best successful flight will be considered for the final score.

Teams will be evaluated based on stable flight, payload delivery, safe landing, and mission completion time.

Rules & Regulations

• Only fixed-wing aircraft are permitted.
• Rotary-wing aircraft, lighter-than-air aircraft, steerable parafoils, and FPV systems are prohibited.
• Maximum wingspan: 2000 mm.
• Maximum empty weight:
• 1.4 kg for hand-launched aircraft
• 1.6 kg for aircraft with landing gear
• Permitted tolerance: ±0.01 kg
• Maximum thrust-to-weight ratio: 0.6.
• Electric motor propulsion must be used.
• Propellers must be non-metallic.
• Propulsion batteries are limited to a maximum of 4S LiPo.
• The aircraft must have a clearly marked Centre of Gravity corresponding to the submitted design.
• The assigned team number must be visibly displayed on the aircraft.
• The water payload must be carried in a commercially available container. Custom-fabricated or 3D-printed containers are not permitted.
• The payload container must remain structurally independent of the aircraft's primary airframe.
• A functional failsafe mechanism is mandatory and will be tested during Technical Inspection.
• Aircraft must comply with all designated flight-zone and launch-zone restrictions.
• For hand launches, the designated launcher must wear safety glasses, a helmet, and closed-toe shoes.
• Aircraft using landing gear must become airborne within the specified 60-second launch window.
• Any pre-existing structural or control-surface damage must be declared before inspection.
• The physical aircraft must correspond to the submitted design drawings.
• Teams must follow the instructions of competition officials. Unsportsmanlike conduct, arguments, or disobedience towards officials may result in penalties or elimination.

Technical Design Report (TDR)

Each team must submit a Technical Design Report (TDR) describing the engineering development of its UAV.

The report should cover:

• Overall aircraft configuration
• Wing planform and aerofoil selection
• Drag analysis
• Stability and control
• Propulsion performance
• Performance prediction
• Payload delivery mechanism

The TDR is limited to 17 pages, including the required 2D drawing and supplemental datasheet, and must follow the specified formatting requirements.

The TDR is compulsory and may be used for evaluation in the event of a tie or if the aircraft is unable to fly.

Judging & Scoring

The primary basis of evaluation is the Flight Score (FS):

FS = 3 × (PW/EW) × (1 + PRM + SF) + TB

Where:

PW/EW – Payload-to-Empty Weight Ratio

Rewards teams for carrying a greater payload relative to aircraft empty weight.

PRM – Payload Release Multiplier

• +1 if the payload lands within the 10 m × 10 m target zone
• 0 otherwise

SF – Safe Landing Factor

• +0.5 for a safe landing after at least 30 seconds of stable flight
• −0.5 if a component other than the propeller breaks or detaches

TB – Time Bonus

• +2 for mission completion between 30–60 seconds
• +1 for 60–90 seconds
• 0 for 90–180 seconds

The payload-to-empty-weight ratio is considered only when the aircraft maintains stable flight for at least 30 seconds and does not violate designated no-fly zones.

Disqualification / Zero-Score Conditions

A team may receive a zero score or be disqualified if:

• The aircraft fails the Technical and Safety Inspection before the flight rounds.
• The aircraft fails to achieve the required stable flight duration.
• Designated no-fly zones are violated.
• Conduct regulations are violated.
• The physical aircraft does not correspond to the submitted design drawings.

Competition Objective

Aerodominator 12.0 rewards teams that achieve the best balance between payload capacity, aircraft weight, aerodynamic efficiency, stability, reliable payload delivery, safe operation, and mission completion time.

The competition provides participants with practical experience in aircraft design, fabrication, system integration, testing, flight operations, engineering analysis, and real-world problem-solving.

You may complete the payment after registering on Unstop here: gravitas.vit.ac.in/events/2f72ffe0-7ecc-4682-b1b9-64f13870a45d