The China Universities Aircraft Design Competition (CUADC) was held in Deqing, Zhejiang Province from October 3 to 14. During the 12-day competition, the Guangdong Technion – Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT) CUADC Aircraft Team competed with China top universities including Tsinghua University, Beihang University, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Sun Yat-sen University, Xiamen University and Zhejiang University, delivering a remarkable performance in its debut.

After fierce contests, the team's aircraft excelled in the short-take-off-and-landing mission with superior stability, payload capacity and controllability, finishing fourth overall and winning the national first prize and their design report won the national second prize. In the solar-powered aircraft mission, the team advanced to the national final.

Organized by the Chinese Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics, CUADC is currently the only university-level science and technology competition in China that integrates aircraft design, manufacturing, flight testing, and control systems into one comprehensive event. In this competition, the participating teams must independently complete the entire workflow—from conceptual design, structural fabrication and system integration to real-flight testing. Since its inception in 2022, the competition has gained remarkable popularity among universities nationwide. This year's event attracted nearly 4,000 participants including both faculty and students from 150 higher education institutions across the country.

As GTIIT's first student aircraft R&D group, the team was co-founded by Lu Yiyue, a drone enthusiast from Mathematics and Computer Science Program, and Chen Mingxi, leader of the GTIIT Innovation Club. Drawing members from different programs, the team received strong support from GTEC and Associate Professor Liu Mingyi of the Mechanical Engineering and Robert Program. Starting from zero, they built a studio, an experimental platform and a full project framework in under a year.

Front Row: Yu Qinrong, Lu Yiyue, Li Zhicheng, Cai Yuke

Back Row: Lin Xinlei, Zhou Long, Han Youwen, Ye Xiayuan

In the future, the GTIIT CUADC team will use this competition as a springboard to keep pushing the boundaries of innovation in energy propulsion, composite structures and intelligent control. GTIIT will continue to foster a vibrant environment for science and technology innovation, empowering every GTIIT student to “Dream it, Do it.”

Text/Photos: GTIIT CUADC, GTIIT News & Public Affairs