NOVA UAV on the runway

Our projects

Discover our proudest student achievements, from Design/Build/Fly to the Air Cargo Challenge.

Discover our projects ↓
V-SIX UAV in flight, side view during flight testing
Air Cargo Challenge 2026 · Stuttgart

V-SIX

NOVA's fourth competition build: a fixed-wing UAV designed for Air Cargo Challenge 2026's distance mission under strict power and payload limits.

NOVA's fourth competition: Air Cargo Challenge 2026 in Stuttgart, Germany – Europe's largest bi-annual aeromodelling challenge, hosted by the 2024 winning team. V-SIX UAV (4.73kg MTOW, 2.5m wingspan, V-Tail, semi-elliptical low wing) carried 2.1kg payload (6 standard 330ml cans) in a distance mission, designed as a trade-off for maximum speed under strict power and transport-crate limits.

Competed against 34 teams – securing 9th place, NOVA's best fixed-wing result to date, backed by two competition aircraft built and an extensive flight-test campaign with full telemetry validation.

AEROS multirotor UAV
Student AirRace 2025 · Munich

AEROS

NOVA's first multicopter racer: an 8kg coaxial drone built for Student AirRace 2025, the world's first hyperdrone racing challenge.

NOVA's third competition: Student AirRace 2025 in Munich, Germany – world's first “hyperdrone” racing challenge by EUROAVIA. AEROS coaxial multirotor (8kg) raced FPV/autonomously on a circuit, launching NOVA's international multicopter division with 1st place victory.

1st place of 3 teams — NOVA, UPC ATLAS (Spain), and TUM Drone Racing (Germany) — among 60 individual participants, attracting sponsors like Quantum Systems and Ansys.

The Carpathian Shadow UAV
AIAA DBF 2025 · Tucson, AZ

Carpathian Shadow

NOVA's biggest challenge yet: an 8.8kg fixed-wing UAV built for AIAA's Design/Build/Fly 2025, carrying a payload plus an autonomous-release glider.

NOVA's biggest competition: AIAA DBF 2025 in Tucson, AZ – world's top RC aircraft challenge by AIAA. Carpathian Shadow UAV (8.8kg MTOW, 1.8m wingspan) carried 4.8kg payload plus X-1 glider for autonomous release/landing.

Competed against 112 elite teams from MIT, Stanford, Embry-Riddle, Georgia Tech, RMIT – securing 62nd place.

AEROATLAS UAV
Air Cargo Challenge 2024 · Aachen

AEROATLAS

NOVA's very first competition build: a fixed-wing UAV designed for Air Cargo Challenge 2024's cargo-transport mission.

NOVA's first competition ever: Air Cargo Challenge 2024 in Aachen, Germany – international UAV cargo transport challenge. AEROATLAS UAV (6kg MTOW, 2.2m wingspan) carried 2.4kg payload (“passengers” as billiard balls) for maximum speed/efficiency under strict power and crate limits.

Competed against 30 teams from Stuttgart, Udine, UBI, PoliTO, TUM – securing 20th place and Romania's return after 9 years.