At the recently concluded China University Aircraft Design Competition (CUADC) 2024, Beihang Aeromodelling Team achieved remarkable success with outstanding design and operational skills, securing multiple awards. Altogether, the team won 4 first prizes, 4 second prizes, 3 third prizes, 1 first prize of the group, and 1 second prize of the group. Notably, the team claimed both the individual and group championships in the Fixed-Wing UAV Reconnaissance and Strike Project, and the individual championship in the Micro Fixed-Wing Distance-Limited Flight Project. Beihang was the only university nationwide to win two single-event championships among the eight on-site competition categories.
The team members spent three months designing, manufacturing, and testing all the training and competition aircraft for CUADC. On September 15, they traveled to Shuai Village Airport in Dingzhou, Hebei province, for pre-competition training, where they promptly began assembling and fine-tuning their aircraft.
In the two-week training, despite facing challenges such as losing control of the planes, engine failures in mid-air, and wheel breakages during landing, the team quickly addressed these issues, honing their skills in problem-solving under pressure.
The CUADC officially commenced on September 28. In the Micro Fixed-Wing Distance-Limited Flight and Time-Limited Transport Flight events, pilots overcame complex weather conditions, including gusts of up to 7 on the Beaufort scale, demonstrating the design capabilities of their aircraft and their own piloting skills and composure.
Beihang Aeromodelling Team also won multiple awards in the Science and Technology Innovation Design Report evaluations.
During the competition, team members not only improved their professional skills but also formed strong bonds with peers from other universities. At the opening ceremony, Academician Liu Daxiang encouraged the students to contribute to the country’s aviation industry, inspiring them to follow in the footsteps of their predecessors.
The CUADC, held annually, has become a vital part of engineering training in Chinese universities. It provides a platform for students to showcase technological innovations and fosters collaboration between institutions. Through such competitions, students transform academic knowledge into practical skills while refining their designs and technical expertise through exchanges with their peers.
Founded in 1952, Beihang Aeromodelling Team is a world-class university aeromodelling organization, affiliated with Beihang High-Level Technological Innovation Team. Under the guidance and support of the university’s Communist Youth League Committee, the School of Aeronautic Science and Engineering is responsible for the daily management, technical guidance, and team development of Beihang Aeromodelling Team.
After more than seventy years of development, Beihang Aeromodelling Team has established a comprehensive system for selection, training, competition preparation, and the transformation of academic achievements, becoming a key platform for cultivating innovative talents at Beihang University. It has evolved from a model aviation sports team to a leader in aeronautical talent training and aviation innovation technology, recognized both nationally and internationally.
(Source: Communist Youth League Committee, School of Aeronautic Science and Engineering)
Written by: Wang Yuxin
Photos by: Cao Xun, Tong Yaohua
Reviewed by: Liu Yang, Dong Leiting
Edited by: Jia Aiping
Translated by: Lu Meili
