Student teams from Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA) won 15 national awards — 11 first prizes, 1 second prize and 3 third prizes — and took 2 championships at the 2026 China Universities Aircraft Design Innovation Competition. The national finals were held from 5 to 15 October 2026 at the Zigong Aviation Industrial Park in Sichuan.
The competition tests students' ability to design, build and fly real aircraft. More than 200 universities, 700 teams and 6,000 students and faculty took part this year, competing in 12 events across fixed-wing aircraft, rotorcraft and rockets. Teams are judged on flight challenges, design reports and engineering validation.
Key facts
Competition: 2026 China Universities Aircraft Design Innovation Competition, founded in 2022 by the Chinese Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Finals: 5–15 October 2026, Zigong Aviation Industrial Park, Sichuan.
Scale: 200+ universities, 700+ teams, 6,000+ students and faculty; 12 events in 3 categories.
NUAA results: 15 awards (11 first prizes, 1 second prize, 3 third prizes) and 2 championships.
Best result: national champion in team total score for drone short take-off and landing (STOL) — NUAA's best ever result in this event.
Colleges involved: Aerospace Engineering, Energy and Power Engineering, Automation Engineering, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Astronautics, and Changkong College.
How the teams performed
In the solar-powered aircraft mission flight, two NUAA crews finished second and third nationally. The logistics drone team placed second with a fully autonomous drone that airdropped cargo by parachute, and the unpowered glider team, formed in June 2026 together with Nanjing University of Science and Technology, also finished second nationally.
Teams also won prizes in drone precision airdrop and timed payload flight. In the precision airdrop event, one aircraft crashed on the first day after a flight-controller power failure; the team rebuilt and went on to win a design-report first prize and two flight-challenge third prizes.
All teams were advised by Shi Mingshuang, with support from faculty advisers across the participating colleges, and organised through the NUAA Science and Technology Association.
What this means for international students
Hands-on design-build-fly projects are a core part of aeronautical engineering at NUAA. If you want to study aircraft design, drones or aerospace systems, explore NUAA's English-taught programmes; applications for the March 2027 intake are open on the official application portal.
Frequently asked questions
How did NUAA do in the 2026 aircraft design competition?
NUAA student teams won 15 national awards at the 2026 China Universities Aircraft Design Innovation Competition — 11 first prizes, 1 second prize and 3 third prizes — plus 2 championships, including the national title in team total score for drone short take-off and landing.
What is the China Universities Aircraft Design Innovation Competition?
It is a national competition founded in 2022 by the Chinese Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics, in which student teams design, build and fly aircraft. The 2026 finals in Zigong, Sichuan, involved more than 200 universities and 700 teams in 12 events.
Is NUAA a good university for aeronautical engineering?
NUAA is one of China's leading aerospace universities, ranked third in the world for Aerospace Engineering in the 2026 ShanghaiRanking Global Ranking of Academic Subjects, and its students regularly win national design and flight competitions.
Sources: NUAA English News · NUAA official WeChat
