A student team from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) designed, built, and flew a remote-controlled aircraft that delivered one of the best overall flight performances in the history of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Design Build Fly competition. The team placed fifth out of 109 teams from around the world — the second-best placement ever achieved by RPI. Their aircraft earned not only the highest combined flight score in RPI DBF history, but also one of the top combined flight performances ever recorded in the competition.  

The team’s aircraft, Juggernaut, flew a 20-pound payload through the course in under two minutes, earning the third-highest Mission 2 score overall. It also deployed a GPS-guided glider that was more accurate and stable than any other entry. At just 54 grams — nearly half the weight of the next lightest glider — the design showcased exceptional efficiency and control.

The AIAA Design Build Fly competition challenges student teams from around the world to engineer remote-controlled aircraft that complete complex missions under strict design constraints. With this year’s performance, RPI outperformed teams from institutions including MIT, Georgia Tech, the University of Michigan, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Embry-Riddle, USC, UCLA, Virginia Tech, and the University of Texas at Austin.

The strength of RPI’s showing speaks not only to the capabilities of this year’s team, but also to the growing prominence of the institute’s student-led design programs. In a competition that reflects real-world aerospace challenges, RPI’s top-tier placement demonstrates how undergraduate students at RPI are translating their classroom knowledge into high-stakes engineering performance — competing on equal footing with some of the world’s most established aerospace programs.

Since entering the competition in 2007, RPI has consistently ranked among the top-performing teams, in the top 10 in 2010 and the top three in 2013. The 2025 team’s result builds on that legacy and exemplifies the Institute’s commitment to student-led innovation and experiential learning.

“Getting to work on a project like this as an undergrad was an incredible opportunity,” said Tia Pignetti ’27 who is majoring in aeronautical and mechanical engineering, the 2024-25 DBF president and 2025-26 structures design lead. “You hear about concepts in class, but actually applying them to design something real — and seeing it fly — made everything click in a different way. It was challenging, exciting, and definitely one of the most meaningful things I’ve done at RPI.”

Jason Hicken, Ph.D., professor of mechanical, aerospace, and nuclear engineering at RPI and the team’s faculty advisor, reflected on the power of hands-on learning at RPI, “I am incredibly proud of the students. The team really excelled this year, and I want to emphasize that this is their achievement; from design, to report writing, to logistics, the students did it all. I sincerely believe that this experience, this competition, has helped transform them from RPI students into RPI engineers. It has been a privilege for me and my colleagues to support them on this journey.”

This year’s record-setting performance reinforces RPI’s reputation as a leader in engineering education — where students are not only mastering technical concepts but also pushing the boundaries of what’s possible through hands-on innovation. Backed by critical support from the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering and the School of Engineering, the DBF team’s achievement reflects the Institute’s deep commitment to cultivating future aerospace pioneers and affirms the value of investing in student-driven design, collaboration, and real-world impact.

Final competition results are available at: https://aiaa.org/dbf/competition-information/2025-dbf-competition-scoring