WE
DESIGN.
BUILD.
FLY.

A student-led aircraft design team at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte competing in the AIAA Design/Build/Fly competition — engineering a new RC aircraft from concept to reality every year.

THE COMPETITION
Scroll to explore

The Competition

Every year, more than 145 universities from around the world compete for the top place at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Design-Build-Fly competition. The goal is to design, build, and demonstrate the flight capabilities of an electric-powered, remote-controlled airplane that meets rigorous technical and mission requirements involving a commercial or military challenge.

Read more about the competition here →
Current & Past Builds

Our Aircraft

2026

2026 DBF aircraft poster

Banner-Towing Bush Plane, "The Nemesis"

2025

2025 DBF aircraft poster

X-1 Flight Test Program

Meet Your 2026-2027 Team

Ryan Monroe working with aircraft

Ryan Monroe - Project Manager

Ryan is a senior majoring in Mechanical Engineering Technology, concentrating in Electromechanical Systems. He has held a variety of roles in engineering, including working for Collins Aerospace as a Product Support Intern, working for the Autonomous Robots and Systems Laboratory (ARSL) at UNC-Charlotte as an Autonomous Surface Vessel field researcher, and has accumulated 200+ hours in aviation maintenance as an A&P apprentice for AGL Aviation Services, primarily working on various Cessna and Mooney aircraft. Ryan has been involved with DBF UNC-Charlotte since its inception in 2025, and also serves as the AIAA UNC-Charlotte Student Chapter President.

Paul Travers

Paul Travers - Aerodynamics

Paul is a senior in Mechanical Engineering, concentrating in Aerospace Engineering. Paul has previously worked as an analyst evaluating BAM ceramics for Hypersonic and Spacecraft Applications for UNC-Charlotte's Office of Undergraduate Research.

Abhinav Das

Abhinav Das - Chief Engineer / Avionics and Propulsion

Abhinav is a senior in Mechanical Engineering, concentrating in Aerospace Engineering. Abhinav's recent work experience includes being a Siemens Energy Large Generators Design Intern. He was also awarded the 2026 AIAA Region II Conference First Place Award for his research on toroidal UAV propulsion systems.

Mitch Reece

Mitch Reece - Fabrication

Mitch is a junior in Mechanical Engineering. His previous work experience includes being a composites technician at Blue Force Technologies, now a subsidiary of Anduril.

Sandro Galvan

Sandro Galvan - Structures

Sandro is a senior in Mechanical Engineering Technology. He is currently an intern for Beta Technologies, working on various composite components and tooling for their urban air mobility aircraft fleet. Outside of working in aerospace engineering, Sandro enjoys fencing for UNC-Charlotte's fencing club.

Kynnedy Keel

Kynnedy Keel - Payload

Kynnedy is a senior in Mechanical Engineering, concentrating in Aerospace Engineering. She brings to the team her experience as an intern at NAVAIR working on hydraulic subsystems for the MV-22 Osprey.

Join the Team

Now accepting applications for the 2026-2027 competition cycle!

History & Vision

History and vision of Design Build Fly at UNC-Charlotte

Design Build Fly at UNC-Charlotte launched in 2025 with 5 engineering students. They competed for the first time in Tucson, Arizona by building a model X-1 aircraft. In 2026, the team doubled in size to 10 students, and competed with an all-3D-printed aircraft in Wichita, Kansas, placing 50th out of 98 teams. Building upon the previous successes of the past two teams, Design Build Fly at UNC-Charlotte aims to place in the top 25% of teams in 2027.

Aircraft design equation
Get Involved

Want to Design, Build,
and Fly with Us?

Whether you're a student interested in joining the team or a sponsor looking to support the next generation of aerospace engineers at UNC Charlotte — we'd love to hear from you.

0 / 150 words

AIAA Student Chapter · UNC Charlotte · Dept. of Mechanical Engineering & Engineering Science

CONNECT

Follow us on social media using the links below to access more content, and to stay updated on DBF UNC-Charlotte news!

YouTube Instagram LinkedIn