SAE AERO DESIGN

The SAE Aero Design competition is intended to provide undergraduate and graduate engineering students with a real-life engineering challenge. The competition has been designed to provide exposure to the kinds of situations that engineers face in their real-life work environment. First and foremost a design competition, students will find themselves performing trade studies and making compromises to arrive at a design solution that will optimally meet the mission requirements while still conforming to the configuration limitations. The importance of interpersonal communication skills is sometimes overlooked, yet both written and oral communication skills are vital in the engineering workplace. To help teams develop these skills, a high percentage of a team's score is devoted to the design report and the oral presentation required in the competition. SAE Aero Design features three classes of competition-Regular, Advanced, and Micro. Regular Class continues to be the class with the purpose to develop the fundamental understanding of flight. We recommended Regular Class for first year teams interested in competing. Advanced Class requires teams to have a systems approach to the design while integrating several engineering disciplines: aeronautical, mechanical, electrical, and computer engineers. The ultimate end goal for this class is autonomous flight with a "purpose" decided every year by rules committee members. Micro Class teams are required to make trades between two potentially conflicting requirements, carrying the highest payload fraction possible, while simultaneously pursuing the lowest empty weight possible.
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Team Login

Team members and faculty: Click here to login to www.saeaerodesign.com
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News Feed

Click here to visit the SAE Aero Design news feed today!
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Results

View SAE Aero Design competition results dating back to 2017 here.
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Volunteer

We provide the Experience; You supply the Knowledge. Volunteer Today!
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Sponsors

Interested in getting involved? Reach out to [email protected] today!

SERIES NEWSFEED

How the Gene Haas Foundation Supports SAE Students 
8/13/2026  SAE Aero Design Series

Learn how the Gene Haas Foundation supports students pursuing careers in manufacturing

LaunchPad Live - Register Today! 
8/13/2026  SAE Aero Design Series

Interested in applying for one of the 30 available $1,800 team stipends this year? Make sure you meet all eligibility requirements by reviewing the post below and completing all necessary steps associated with the upcoming LaunchPad Live event scheduled for September 11th.

Important September Dates for 2027 Aero 
8/12/2026  SAE Aero Design Series

September is about to be busy - download our September calendar and review this news post for MVP dates, deadlines, info & opportunities!

LaunchPad Live - Powered by Xometry 
8/7/2026  SAE Aero Design Series

Signup Today - LaunchPad Live: SAE Aero Design + 2026-27 Student Stipend Application Open. x30 $1.8K stipends available for this season's SAE Aero teams.

Interview with UCF’s Lozier Mackey at Baja 
8/7/2026  SAE Aero Design Series

From Material Science to Drivetrain Lead - Baja attracts every major

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Team Login

Team members and faculty: Click here to login to www.saeaerodesign.com
widget 
News Feed

Click here to visit the SAE Aero Design news feed today!
widget 
Results

View SAE Aero Design competition results dating back to 2017 here.
widget 
Volunteer

We provide the Experience; You supply the Knowledge. Volunteer Today!
widget 
Sponsors

Interested in getting involved? Reach out to [email protected] today!

widget 
Team Login

Team members and faculty: Click here to login to www.saeaerodesign.com
widget 
News Feed

Click here to visit the SAE Aero Design news feed today!
widget 
Results

View SAE Aero Design competition results dating back to 2017 here.
widget 
Volunteer

We provide the Experience; You supply the Knowledge. Volunteer Today!
widget 
Sponsors

Interested in getting involved? Reach out to [email protected] today!