Design, Build, Fly (DBF) is an annual competition hosted by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AAIA) to give students an opportunity to obtain real-world aircraft design experience.
It is a multistep process where students design and propose an aircraft, build it, and come together to fly it. This year, BU’s team under the leadership of Emma Braatz (AIAA President) and Nattapat Charaspotiratanakul (DBF lead) was able to advance to the build stage—the first in BU history, ranking 23 out of 159 teams in the proposal phase. The aircraft will have to complete a series of “missions”, including lifting a glider that must be released and fly autonomously. They are teaming up with a Senior Design team who will be building the glider. You can check out the senior design team’s presentation at our Capstone Event on May 2.
Building the glider has allowed the Senior Design team to better understand the process of taking a model and manufacturing it. The build phase uncovers issues with their design that they had not considered.
“It’s been really exciting to see something that we designed using CAD actually become a physical prototype.” -Jesse Cooper (ENG ’25)
After some testing, the team is now working to make a more modular design so that going forward, if a flight doesn’t go well, they can salvage usable parts. This makes it easier for them to replace parts as needed, rather than the whole glider. The team is also currently figuring out how to test the glider at speeds required for the competition.
“With this project, I had hoped to gain some experience in something I had never done before and apply some of the skills I’ve learned in class to something more real-world applicable and it has been just that thus far.”
The AIAA students working on the main aircraft are mainly sophomores and juniors. The main aircraft will be remote controlled, will have a wing span of 6 feet and will be able to tow and release the glider. The students are finishing their detailed design and have begun creating molds for their wings and tail.
“My favorite part of DBF so far has been the collaborative and open-minded environment” says Faris Cynndy, “Whether it’s sharing a new idea, suggesting a different approach, or problem-solving in an unconventional way, I really appreciate how my input is valued. It fosters a sense of teamwork and innovation that makes the experience both rewarding and engaging.”
The team’s detailed design report is due February 21st. The competition is set for April in Arizona. We wish them the best of luck!
The team is still looking for a professional RC pilot to perform the initial test flights and to help train student pilots. If anyone has a connection, let the team know. The team is also entering into a second fundraising phase. The aircraft itself costs just under $10k to create. Other schools report that taking the DBF team to competition can run upwards of $20k. The student’s DBF fund currently covers the cost of building the aircraft and shipping it to the competition. They hope to raise further funds to support the team’s travel to the competition.
Donations can be made by visiting this link. For additional information on how to make a donation, contact Sheryl Grace (sgrace@bu.edu), one of the DBF faculty advisors.