Design/Build/Fly, or DBF, is a radio-controlled aircraft competition sponsored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), Cessna Aircraft Company, and Raytheon Missile Systems.[citation needed] The Office of Naval Research was also a sponsor until 2006.[citation needed] The competition is intended to challenge the AIAA student branches of each university to design, build, and fly a remote-controlled airplane that can complete specific ground and flight missions. Additionally, the teams are required to submit a comprehensive design report detailing the most important aspects of their designs.[citation needed]
Competition rules vary annually, switching between humanitarian and military themes. Rules typically release in late September, with the final fly-off in April. A mathematical formula outlined in the rules calculates each entry's score, which lately combines design report and performance scores from fly-off missions.
| Year | Location | 1st Place | 2nd Place | 3rd Place | 4th Place | 5th Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Ragged Island, MD | University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign | Virginia Tech | Texas A&M University | Utah State University | West Virginia University |
| 1998 | Wichita, KS | University of Southern California ("Pepe") | Texas A&M University | Syracuse University | University of Texas, Austin | Utah State University [Paper Score] |
| 1999 | Pax River, MD | Utah State University | Oklahoma State University | University of Southern California ("H2OT Shark") | Georgia Institute of Technology | Texas A&M University |
| 2000 | Wichita, KS | Utah State University ("Wing and a Prayer") | Oklahoma State University 1 | University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign | Georgia Institute of Technology | Oklahoma State University 2 |
| 2001 | Pax River, MD | Oklahoma State University (Orange) | California Polytechnic State University | Oklahoma State University (Black) | University of California, San Diego | Utah State University |
| 2002 | Wichita, KS | University of California, San Diego | University of Southern California ("SCrewball") | West Virginia University | University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign | Universita degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza |
| 2003 | Ridgely Airpark, MD | San Diego State University | California Polytechnic State University | Universita degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza | University of Southern California ("SCyRaider") | Oklahoma State University (Black) |
| 2004 | Wichita, KS | Oklahoma State University (Black) | Oklahoma State University (Orange) | University of Southern California ("SCquirt") | University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign | California Polytechnic State University |
| 2005 | Pax River, MD | Oklahoma State University (Black) | Oklahoma State University (Orange) | Washington State University | Virginia Tech | University of California, San Diego |
| 2006 | Wichita, KS | Oklahoma State University (Black) | Oklahoma State University (Orange) | California Polytechnic State University (24" Wood) | University of Southern California ("SCtingray") | Istanbul Technical University |
| 2007 | Tucson, AZ | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Oklahoma State University (Orange) | Purdue University | Oklahoma State University (Black) | Wichita State University (Shockin' Surveyor) |
| 2008 | Wichita, KS | Oklahoma State University (Black) | University of Texas, Austin (The Hornworks) | Oklahoma State University (Orange) | University of Texas, Austin (Orange Bullet) | University of Colorado Boulder |
| 2009 | Tucson, AZ | Oklahoma State University (Black) | Oklahoma State University (Orange) | University of Southern California ("Turbo Encabulator") | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Just Wing It) | University of California - Irvine (Zot Rocket) |
| 2010 | Wichita, KS | Oklahoma State University (Orange) | Oklahoma State University (Black) | Purdue University (B'Euler Up) | University of Texas, Austin (Bat Wing) | California Polytechnic State University (Swings Both Ways) |
| 2011 | Tucson, AZ | Georgia Institute of Technology (There Will Be Buzz) | University of Southern California ("The RFB") | Purdue University (The Golfstream) | Wichita State University (MiniWheat) | California Polytechnic State University (Balls Deep) |
| 2012 | Wichita, KS | San Jose State University (Team PhalanX) | University of California, Irvine (Angel of Attack) | University of Colorado Boulder (H2BuffalO) | Istanbul Technical University (ATA) | University of Oklahoma (Crimson Skies) |
| 2013 | Tucson, AZ | University of California, Irvine | San Diego State University | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | University of Colorado Boulder |
| 2014 | Wichita, KS | University of Southern California ("MiSChief") | University of California, Irvine | San Jose State University | University of Ljubljana, Slovenia | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| 2015 | Tucson, AZ | University of Ljubljana, Slovenia | University of California, Irvine | Georgia Institute of Technology | Tel Aviv University | University of Texas, Austin (The RebUTtal) |
| 2016 | Wichita, KS | San Jose State University | Georgia Institute of Technology | University of California, Irvine | Virginia Tech | University of Oklahoma |
| 2017 | Tucson, AZ | University of Southern California ("StarSCream") | Georgia Institute of Technology | University of Ljubljana, Slovenia | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Oregon State University |
| 2018 | Wichita, KS | Clarkson University ("KnightHawk") | Virginia Tech | Georgia Institute of Technology | University of Ljubljana, Slovenia | University of Texas, Austin |
| 2019 | Tucson, AZ | University of Ljubljana, Slovenia ("Pretty Boy") | Georgia Institute of Technology | FH Joanneum | University of Southern California ("ExSCalibur") | Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute ("Jatayu") |
| 2020[1] | Wichita, KS | University of Southern California ("SCkyfall") | Georgia Institute of Technology | University of Nevada, Las Vegas | Pennsylvania State University | The City College of New York |
| 2021[2] | Tucson, AZ | Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering | University of Central Florida | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach | Ohio State University | Georgia Institute of Technology |
| 2022 | Wichita, KS | Georgia Institute of Technology | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach | FH Joanneum ("Hornet") | University of Southern California ("VaxSCinator" A.K.A "RadoviSCh") | Virginia Tech |
| 2023 | Tucson, AZ | RWTH Aachen University | University of Ljubuljana | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach | Virginia Tech | University of Washington Seattle |
Students are required to keep up with changing technologies and mission requirements as the aerospace industry advances. Recent mission requirements have included increased focus on fuel efficiency, environmental sustainability, and electric propulsion. Additionally, the use of advanced materials and manufacturing techniques has become more prevalent in the competition, as students look for ways to optimize their aircraft performance while keeping costs down.