A Team of mainly Aeronautical Engineering undergraduate students recently competed at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Challenge (UAS Challenge), at BMFA Buckminster in Grantham and came out winning again!

The aim of the challenge, which celebrated its 10-year anniversary this year, is for teams to design and build an Uncrewed Aircraft (UA), to undertake a representative humanitarian aid mission. The system is required to perform a series of tasks such as take-off and landing, navigating way points and gates, dropping an Aid Package, and returning to base via a defined route.

As part of the competition groups must submit a concept development report and business case as well as performing the flight missions at the event. The event draws entries from universities around the globe. 

This year the Loughborough Team came highest for the ‘Best Design’, (for the 4th year running!), the ‘Scrutineers Award’ and the ‘Simulation Award’.  

2023/24 Team Leader, Raj Bhangra stated: 

It's been another challenging year for the Loughborough UAV Team; more teams than ever were competing and it was a great opportunity to interact with student engineers from around the world and talk to industry engineers about the UAS and aeronautical industry. 

We also had former team members return as graduate engineers; volunteering with the IMechE; or representing affiliated companies, highlighting the benefits of the challenge to future engineering prospects.  

The Team worked really hard this year to produce another innovative tilt-rotor design which attracted a lot of attention in the hangar. The judges were clearly impressed with the whole design and professional quality of the final aircraft as evidenced by the awards we received.  

It's been a privilege to have led the Team this year and I'm really proud of everything we've achieved.

John Newton – Staff Advisor - also comments about the achievements this year;  

The Team this year produced an excellent performance to earn 3 well deserved awards, despite challenging weather conditions at the competition they were able to get their aircraft airborne and back down safely. The judges were particularly impressed with the team’s professionalism and the setup of their aircraft.

A great performance again this year for the Team, their Staff Advisor and Prof Adrian Spencer as a Team Consultant. Congratulations on your achievements from everyone in the School of Aeronautical, Automotive, Chemical and Materials Engineering!

The full Loughborough UAV Team include:  

• Rajveer Bhangra - Team Leader 
• Jacob Wright - Team Pilot 
• William Dobney - Chief Technical Officer 
• Laura Gleghorn - Chief Integration Engineer 
• Kasha Bhardwaj-John - Chief Systems Engineer and Systems Engineers: Imi Baines, Oliver Dow, Luke Philips, William Dobney, Matyas Bana and Saifuddin Mohammed 
• Sam Ferra - Chief Airframes Engineer with Airframes Engineers; Benita Nsiah, Vithodawala, Luis Zapata-Perez, Stephen Rouse, Ben Rayner, Rodrigo Sanz, Luis Thoppil-Poyatos and Thomas Lorrimore 
• Kofi Ekue - Chief Media Officer 
• Benji Sawtell - Chief Manufacturing Engineer and Manufacturing Engineers: Esther Wilson-Gilbert Jasmine Dossa Micah Jowers Cieran Foster Tristan Hart 
• Kian Poulsen - Head of Aerodynamics 
• George Gurry - Head of Structures 

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