In March of 2025, the UA VTOL team competed at the Annual VFS Design-Build-Vertical Flight Competition, it’s inaugural showing at a national competition. The competition is put on by The Vertical Flight Society, who holds the competition annually in Churchville, Maryland. After we declared our intent to compete and we received the rules of the competition last fall, the team got to work designing a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft capable of doing the job.
The result was a carbon-fiber framed hexacoptor capable of dropping small water bottles with precision while following a set course, and a 2nd place finish! Publications from the Vertical Flight Society and The University of Akron are linked below for more information.
“This electric-powered remote-control vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) competition seeks to encourage interest in unmanned aircraft technology, and small air vehicle design and fabrication. The competition is designed to develop hands-on skills and familiarization with eVTOL and advanced air mobility (AAM) technology at the university student level and prepare the next generation of engineers and leaders to push the limits of this exciting technology into the future.”
– The Vertical Flight Society
Check out Night Fury’s stats!
Fully loaded competition weight: 23.35 lbs
No payload weight: 16.5 lbs
Max flight time (no payload): ~35 minutes
Max flight time (payload): ~19 minutes
Average flight time (no payload): ~22 minutes
Average flight time (payload): ~15 minutes
Propeller Size: 18 inch
Motor-to-Motor length: ~3.95 feet
Maximum Speed: 22 mph
Read the Vertical Flight Society’s publication here!
VFS Press Release
Read The University of Akron’s publication here!
UA Publication