From 17 to 19 April 2026, the SAE Aero Design West international competition, organized by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and sponsored, among others, by Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the F-16 and F-35 aircraft, took place in Fort Worth, Texas (USA). The event featured the team from the Poznan University of Technology Aeronautical Club (AKL), which has participated in this prestigious competition continuously since 2008.
Runner-up in the Regular Class
Competing in the highly demanding Regular Class, which brought together 31 teams from around the world, the Poznan University of Technology team achieved an outstanding result, earning:
- 2nd place overall, and
- 2nd place in the Flight Score category,
receiving The Elliot & Dorothy Green Award of Excellence – Second Place.
Team and Academic Supervisors
This year's team consisted of the following students from Poznan University of Technology:
- Wiktoria Grychowska
- Mikołaj Lewandowski (pilot)
- Kajetan Michalak
- Aleksandra Paśko
- Adam Skibiński
- Alicja Szymańska
- Juliusz Wierbiłowicz
- Kaper Zabojski (Team Leader)
The academic supervisors were Marcel Kraśniewski and Antoni Dąbkiewicz. The project "Design and Construction of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for International Student Competitions in 2025–2026", funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, was led by Dr Eng. Radosław Górzeński.
Aircraft Design
The team presented an unmanned aircraft with the following specifications:
- Wingspan: 304 cm
- Empty weight: 6.5 kg
- Payload capacity: approximately 15 kg
- Cruising speed: approximately 12 m/s
The aircraft featured a truss-frame structure made of 2 mm plywood covered with film and reinforced with aluminium spars. The wing used a Selig airfoil equipped with winglets. Propulsion was provided by two T-Motor electric motors powered by a LiPo 4S 2000 mAh battery.
International Competition
Teams from numerous countries, including China, India, Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico, the United States, the Czech Republic, and Poland, participated in the competition, highlighting its high technical level and international character.
SAE Aero Design – Engineering in Practice
For more than 40 years, SAE Aero Design has been one of the world's leading student engineering competitions. Participants are required to design and build aircraft models that meet demanding technical requirements. In addition to aircraft construction and technical documentation, teams must present their designs and successfully complete flight missions carrying the maximum possible payload.
As Prof. Jerzy Nawrocki of Poznan University of Technology points out, competitions of this kind transform engineering education from "learning by reading" into "learning by doing", helping students develop engineering, organisational, and teamwork skills.
Tradition and Support
Teams from Warsaw University of Technology have participated in SAE Aero Design since 1991, while Poznan University of Technology joined the competition in 2008. In subsequent years, teams from Rzeszów University of Technology, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, the Polish Air Force University in Dęblin, and the AGH University of Kraków also became regular participants.
The participation of the Poznan University of Technology team is carried out within the framework of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education project "Supporting Students in Developing Their Competencies and Skills." The project is co-financed by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Poznan University of Technology, and numerous industrial and institutional partners, including the Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Energy, the Faculty of Civil and Transport Engineering, the Wanda Modlibowska Poznan Aero Club, the City of Poznan, Mesco Ansys, Pratt & Whitney, Aerobits, CCS Druk, NicroMetal, and Terkon.
Team website: http://www.aerodesign.put.poznan.pl/
Competition reports: http://www.aerodesign.put.poznan.pl/biuletyny/
SAE Aero Design website: https://saeaerodesign.com/
