UL FE students part of the winning Edvard Rusjan Team at Design/Build/Fly

The student team Edvard Rusjan Team, composed of students from various faculties of the University of Ljubljana, achieved an outstanding success by winning the prestigious international Design/Build/Fly 2026 competition in the United States. Organized by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the competition is considered one of the world’s most prestigious student aviation competitions, bringing together top engineering universities every year.

A significant contribution to the success was also made by students of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the University of Ljubljana: Jakob Šnajder, Jure Knez, Aljaž Šturm, Jakob Zaplata, David Šturm, Nik Stanojević, Leo Ogrizek and Viktor Primožič Gogala. Through their knowledge and work, they played an important role in the development, construction and successful execution of the project.

The competition, held from 16 to 19 April in Wichita, Kansas (USA) under the auspices of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), is regarded as one of the most prestigious and technically demanding student competitions in aviation. Each year, teams develop a completely new aircraft, from the initial concept to final implementation, where innovation, technical excellence and reliable practical performance are key.

Development of the Brvinc aircraft

The Brvinc aircraft, a radio-controlled unmanned aircraft, was developed specifically for this year’s challenge, Banner Towing Bush Plane, which combines cargo transport and banner towing. The project required precise coordination of multifunctionality, robustness and adaptability, while also demanding thoughtful logistics, as the aircraft had to be compact enough for overseas transport.

The entire development process was carried out within the team, from concept design and CAD modelling to manufacturing, testing and optimization. Particular challenges included the mechanical systems and the design of the banner, which had to ensure stable performance even in demanding weather conditions.

Thanks to an excellent technical report, the team secured a strong starting position and second place on the starting list. They opened the competition with a successful execution of the static mission, improving their time to an impressive 6.6 seconds by the end of the competition. Flight missions took place under demanding conditions, with strong winds, storms and even tornado warnings repeatedly interrupting the competition. Despite this, the team completed all tasks reliably, from the test flight without cargo to the demanding mission involving cargo and passenger transport, and finally the most spectacular challenge – banner towing. With consistent execution and stable flights, they took the lead, which no other team managed to surpass in the tense final stages of the competition.

More than a competition

Behind the success stands a team of more than 30 students who invested months of work, countless testing hours and a great deal of dedication into the project. The team consists of students from several members of the University of Ljubljana: the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, the Faculty of Computer and Information Science, the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, the Biotechnical Faculty and the Faculty of Social Sciences, giving the project a strong multidisciplinary advantage. The victory is an important confirmation that Slovenian students can compete with the world’s best universities through knowledge and interdisciplinary cooperation.