Aerospace team advances to final stage of global emergency response aircraft competition
Published: Mar 24, 2026 1:30 PM
By Dustin Duncan
Members of Vehicle Systems, Dynamics, and Design Laboratory (VSDDL) team pose with their TW-04-s Albatross prototype during flight testing. The team advanced to the final stage of the global GoAERO Prize competition, which focuses on developing autonomy-enabled aircraft for emergency response.
A team of aerospace engineering doctoral students has already proven its aircraft can fly. Now, they’re working to demonstrate its potential to save lives.
After advancing through the first two stages of the global GoAERO Prize competition, students in Auburn University’s Vehicle Systems, Dynamics, and Design Laboratory (VSDDL) are preparing for the final Fly-Off, where their design will be tested in realistic emergency response scenarios.
The competition challenges teams to develop autonomy-enabled aircraft capable of reaching disaster zones quickly, navigating complex environments and assisting in emergency response missions. Stage 2 required teams to build and demonstrate a working prototype, confirming that the design could move beyond concept into real-world application.
For Auburn’s team, that prototype is the TW-04-s Albatross, a tandem tilt-wing aircraft powered by eight electric propulsors. The subscale vehicle has a wingspan of just over seven feet, weighs 53 pounds and can carry a six-pound payload.
“The design is competitive because it’s efficient, lightweight and relatively simple to manufacture,” said Cole McCormick, who leads structural design for the team. “It also uses our Simplified Vehicle Operations flight control system, which allows a less experienced operator to safely fly a complex vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.”
The aircraft can complete fully autonomous flight from takeoff to landing, a milestone the team has already demonstrated during testing.
“The level of autonomy can vary depending on the mission,” said Imon Chakraborty, the Walt and Virginia Woltosz Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering and the VSDDL director and team leader. “It can be fully autonomous, manually operated or somewhere in between.”
The decision to enter the competition stemmed from prior experience and alignment with the lab’s research. Chakraborty previously participated in GoAERO’s predecessor, the GoFly competition.
“The competition’s emphasis on aircraft design and autonomous flight control matches closely with what we’re already doing at VSDDL,” he said.
The team organized its work across design, propulsion, simulation and testing — moving from concept to flight through a structured development process.
“It was a series of checkpoints rather than a single moment,” said Stefanus Harris Putra, who led key elements of the aircraft’s design. “The simulations made sense. The components stayed within budget. Assembly went smoothly. After resolving a few early issues, the first full flight was stable. At that point, we knew the design would be competitive.”
That validation carried through both Stage 1, which focused on conceptual design, and Stage 2, where the team demonstrated a working prototype.
“Our success reflects the strength of our development pipeline,” said Rajan Bhandari, who leads propulsion and system optimization. “We move from conceptual design to control development, then to simulation and flight testing.”
Now, the challenge becomes significantly more complex.
To compete in the final Fly-Off, teams must scale their designs into full-size aircraft capable of carrying a 57-kilogram payload, flying at least 20 miles and operating in disaster environments. The aircraft must also be transportable and deployable in less than 30 minutes.
Meeting those requirements will likely require a hybrid-electric propulsion system, combining traditional fuel with battery-powered support.
“The design and integration of that kind of system presents significant challenges,” Chakraborty said. “It will also require substantial external funding to move forward.”
Even so, the team sees the opportunity as validation of its work.
“Being selected as a finalist shows that what we’re doing is competitive beyond the lab,” McCormick said. “It reinforces that the skills we’re developing here will translate directly into our careers.”
For the team, the ultimate goal extends beyond winning.
“A real-world implementation would be incredibly fulfilling,” said Bikash Kunwar, who leads simulation. “It would show that what we’re developing has practical value and can make a meaningful difference in emergency response.”
Chakraborty said that impact is matched by the growth he has seen in his students.
“They’ve developed not just as engineers, but as collaborators and problem-solvers,” he said. “Very few students have the opportunity to take an aircraft from concept through flight testing.”
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