Boeing, IITs & RVCE present National Aeromodelling Competition 2024-25

Dates: To be announced
Venue: To be announced

Format of the Competition

1. Finals is for the teams shortlisted in the zonal rounds conducted at:
   1. IIT Kharagpur
   2. IIT Bombay
   3. IIT Kanpur
   4. IIT Madras
2. The participants will bring their aircraft and all necessary equipment to participate.

Problem Statement – UAV Payload Delivery Challenge

Theme: Desert Survival Water Drop

A team of researchers stationed in a desert is running out of water. Your task is to design and operate a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) that can safely deliver water bottles to them. The aircraft must carry and drop the bottles with minimal spillage or damage.

Objective

Your team (details on team composition will be provided later) is responsible for:

• Designing and building a radio-controlled aircraft (refer to the Design Constraints section for specifications).
• Creating a mechanism to drop water bottles safely at a designated target location.

Payload Details

• The payload consists of new, sealed 500ml water bottles.
• The aim is to maximize the payload relative to the aircraft’s own weight.
• More details on payload constraints will be shared separately.

Competition Arena

The event will take place on open ground.

Attempt Rules

• Each team will be given two attempts.
• The best of the two scores will be considered for evaluation.

Rules and Guidelines

• The aircraft must carry the payload and drop it within a circular drop zone with a diameter of 20m.
• The aircraft must carry two water bottles as payload.
• A mechanism to safely drop the payload may be attached to the payload structure.
• Only one bottle may be dropped at a time.
• The first drop must be performed after a minimum flight time of 30 seconds following take-off.
• The second drop must be performed at least 30 seconds after the first drop.
• The payload drop must be designed to minimize damage to the water bottle. The bottles should remain undamaged upon landing, and the water must be safe for consumption.
• The mission, including landing, should be completed as quickly as possible.
• Each team will be given a maximum of 4 minutes per attempt. If a team chooses to restart the attempt after take-off, the lapsed time will not be reset.

A maximum of two team members (one pilot and one assistant) will be allowed inside the field during the attempt.

Scoring Formula

Score = ((W1 × A1 × U1) + (W2 × A2 × U2)) / WAircraft

Where:

• W1, W2: Weights of water bottles dropped in each drop
• A1, A2: Accuracy of each drop – 10 points if the bottle touches down within the drop zone; 5 points if it touches down outside
• U1, U2: Usability of the water – 10 points if the bottle lands without any water spill/leakage, 5 points if water is found outside the bottle
• WAircraft: Weight of the aircraft without payload

In the event of a tie, a tie-breaker round will be conducted at the discretion of the judges. The decision of the judges shall be final and binding in all matters.

Design Constraints

Aircraft:

1. The competition requires participants to design and fabricate a Fixed Wing RC aircraft. Readymade models like RTF, ARF, BNF etc., are not allowed.
2. T/W <=1.2 without payload (If excess thrust is measured, it will be neutralized by adding weight below the aircraft at the center of gravity)
3. The total weight of the aircraft, including the dropping mechanism and any additional components for the payload, must not exceed 1.5 kg (excluding the payload).
4. The propeller diameter should not be greater than 13 inches.
5. The wingspan should be a maximum of 1.2 m.
6. Only electric motors are allowed. Using IC engines or any other means of providing thrust is prohibited.
7. Use of gyroscopes (gyros) and programming assistance in receivers is prohibited.
8. Programming for any step of the mission is not allowed.
9. Use of FPV or any other support for flying is not allowed.

Bottle:

Team Structure

1. Only the same team who participated in the zonal round are eligible to participate in the final round.
   • An additional mentor or guardian may accompany the team; however, they are not permitted to assist during the competition. Participation in the competition is restricted to students only
2. Participants must get a bona fide certificate signed by the respective HoD/Dean/Principal and their school/college ID card.

A safety pilot may be provided by the organizers to take control of the aircraft in case of an emergency. Participants have the option to fly independently or request assistance from the safety pilot. If the safety pilot determines that the participant's skills are inadequate for safe operation, the safety pilot will assume control of the aircraft for safety reasons. The final decision regarding safety will rest with the safety pilot and the judges, and participants are required to comply with their instructions.

Abstract Submission

1. All participants must submit an abstract of their aircraft in A4 size with 1.5 line spacing and standard formatting, totaling no more than 15 pages. They must also submit a zip file containing at least 5 and no more than 10 photographs of the aircraft during its construction.
2. The abstract must feature explicitly the basic design of the aircraft (including dimensions, wing areas, velocity, etc.) and explain how the design addresses the problem statement clearly.
3. The abstract must be submitted at least 20 days in advance of the competition date.
4. The abstract must be submitted according to the specified format by sending an email to: boeingfinals2025@skyfilabs.com

Travel Reimbursement and Accommodation

1. All team members participating in the final round will receive a travel allowance, capped at the cost of a 3-tier AC railway fare. To claim this allowance, participants must submit printed copies of their tickets along with the fare details.
2. Accommodation will be provided at the host institute for all participants.
3. Teams are permitted to arrive at the host institute one day in advance for practice sessions.
4. All teams must check in at the host institute by 4 PM on the day prior to the final round and attend a mandatory briefing at the venue at 5 PM that same day.
5. The detailed schedule and agenda for the competition will be released seven days prior to the event. Participants should be prepared to be at the host institute from 7 AM to 8 PM on the day of the competition.

General Guidelines

1. The same aircraft submitted in the abstract must be used for both rounds of the competition. In case of damage during the event, teams may repair the aircraft but cannot replace it with another. Repairs must be completed in time for the next scheduled attempt. Teams are advised to carry spare parts (motors, batteries, propellers, etc.) to avoid delays. If a team is not ready at their turn, they risk losing time or forfeiting the attempt.
2. The use of 2.4 GHz radio is required for all aircraft competing. If the participants want to use any other frequency, they must inform the organizers in advance.
3. Receivers installed in the aircraft must be in 'receiver mode only'.
4. Metal propellers are not allowed.
5. Organizers will check all the systems (Servos, motors, etc.) for functionality before the competition. If found not working, teams will be dismissed from the competition.
6. Please do not share parts of your aircraft (motors, ESC, Battery etc.) with other teams. Each team is expected to carry all the equipment needed to participate in the competition.
7. The models can have powered take-off with landing gear or be launched manually by a person standing at ground level.
8. A team member cannot be a part of more than one team.
9. The timer will start after 120 seconds of the previous team completing their attempt. The participants must be prepared in time and launch without delay after entering the take-off zone. The teams would lose their turn if they were not ready in time.
10. To be eligible for the reimbursement, the qualifying team must share the bank account details that belong to one of the team members. The name on the bank account must match the registered participant's name. Reimbursement/ Prize money will not be transferred if there is a mismatch.
11. The pilot can position himself at any point in the arena to fly the aircraft during the rounds.
12. In view of stringent safety requirements, if a pilot flies out of the designated flying zone, which includes the overhead of the event organizing and control section, as mentioned at the venue, he/ she is disqualified. He/she must immediately turn back and land safely.
13. The arena/ location of take-off and drop zones might vary based on the actual ground and wind conditions.
14. Any attempts to unfairly influence the scoring or disrupt the competition by teams or individuals associated with them, such as parents, professors, trainers, etc., will result in immediate disqualification of the teams.
15. Teams from same college/ school should not be having similar aircrafts. When there are multiple teams/ members from the same college/ school (even if 1 team member in the team is from the same college/ school as another member of another team), there should be a difference of at least 20% in the dimensions of both wingspan and chords of their aircraft.

Revisions

Any revisions to the competition scope will be communicated to all participants via registered email. Revisions can also be made on the spot during the competition, considering safety, conditions at the time, and the layout of the actual ground used for flying.

Contact Information

Skyfi Labs is the overall coordinator for the events across India. Participants can also contact Skyfi Labs for any issues they have.