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

Got Questions About Your Virtual Design Report or Presentations? Ask the Judges Directly! 
9/21/2026  SAE Aero Design Series

As you gear up for the 2027 SAE Aero Design season, now's your chance to get insight straight from the source. Submit your questions about the Virtual Paper judging process or about the FDRR Virtual Presentation, and our panel of judges will answer them LIVE during a special Q&A forum on October 9th.

SAE SoCal section's 39th Annual Fall Workshop 
9/17/2026  SAE Aero Design Series

SAE SoCal section is hosting their 39th Annual Fall Student Workshop Oct 3rd

Beyond the Competition: A talk with Oshkosh Corporation 
9/17/2026  SAE Aero Design Series

We talk about the skills, relationships and experiences that extend far beyond competition weekend!

2027 Season Lottery Opens in 1 hour! 
9/16/2026  SAE Aero Design Series

Make a plan to get your team into the interest window by September 30th.

New Career Portal Tutorial 
9/14/2026  SAE Aero Design Series

SAE has upgraded the way you can connect with event sponsors!

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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!