MSc Student Competition​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

In collaboration with the EU-funded

eVTOLUTION project

About the competition

Together with the EU project eVTOLUTION

DICUAM2026 advertises the:

Master Student Competition Conceptual Design Challenge

A silent and energy-efficient eVTOL in

The Advanced Air Mobility ecosystem

Overview

The eVTOLUTION Team, together with DICUAM, invites teams of Master students to perform a conceptual design exercise for an energy-efficient eVTOL tailored to Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) operations.

Teams of up to 5 members should register themselves via email, choose one of the tracks below, and prepare a design proposal that follows the mission requirements and the quantifiable performance metrics outlined in the corresponding track.

Track A - Aircraft & Systems

Key starting points:

Reference mission and operation scenario.

Design outcomes:

Aircraft/Vehicle layout and architecture, including drawings and dimensions.

On-board systems description with emphasis on Energy Management System, including storage, generation, and distribution.

Performance analysis including: range, payload, cruise/hover performance, energy use.

Optional for extra points:

System-level strategy to minimise power consumption for the reference profile.

Track B - Assessment of Configuration

Key starting points:

The reference vehicle is the Open Source Common Model.

Design outcomes:

Noise Assessment & Community Impact for the design trajectory, including the expected ground noise levels for the selected configuration.

Description of measurements or models used with uncertainty quantification: semi-empirical, analytical, numerical.

Design of mitigation strategies with documented modifications to reduce perceived noise.

Optional for extra points:

Assessment of community acceptance and operational constraints in urban settings.

Student eligibility and support

Eligibility Requirements

All students registered at a University located in a Horizon Europe Associated Country (hereinafter referred to as “students”) are eligible and encouraged to participate.

Teams will be composed of a maximum of 5 students enrolled in a Master's program in Engineering, with one member serving as the elected team captain responsible for communication with the eVTOLUTION consortium through its coordinator.

The eVTOLUTION and DICUAM partners are aware of the gender balance issue in STEM, and although not an eligibility criterion, diversity in the team's composition is strongly encouraged.

More than one design may be submitted by students from any one school.

If a design group withdraws their final report from the competition, the team leader must notify the coordinator immediately.

Design projects that are used as part of an organised classroom requirement are eligible and encouraged for competition.

Student support and award

All participating Teams will receive a certification of attendance.

Teams that have completed their assignment before DICUAM2026 will be invited to present their design at the Conference.

All participating students will be able to submit a request for up to 3 (extra-curricular) ECTS credits, which will be granted upon submission of the material (therefore not linked to the evaluation for time-related reasons).

The winning team will receive the opportunity to present at the next eVTOLUTION Public Workshop

and a 1-year registration to The Vertical Flight Society

Deliverables

What needs to be delivered:

Design report (PDF): covers items listed for the chosen track.

Limits: max 12 pages single-column, including:

• Executive summary (1 page)

• Description of the design (max 9 pages)

• References and appendices ( max 2 pages)

Optional supplementary files (not mandatory, outside the limit)

• Spreadsheets with performance calculations

• CAD images

• Short video demo (max 5 minutes)

Submission: load the design report and any supplementary material as a single ZIP file in the MSC Competition repository.

Evaluation criteria

The eVTOLUTION Committee will serve as the judges for the final reports. Reports will be evaluated based on the criteria outlined below:

Timeline

Each team must provide one academic supervisor or contact person from one institution.

To apply, register your team by emailing evtolution@h-europe.eu with the:

Team Name and Team Lead Contact Point (main point of contact for communication).

Member list including affiliations.

The chosen Track.

The timeline begins with the team's registration.

Teams can be registered during the full duration of the competition, which spans from November 15, 2025, to August 15, 2026.

The 3-month clock starts when the Team registers.

The final evaluation and selection of the winning Team will be carried out and decided at the end of the competition.

Week 1-3

Preparation of the work and preliminary design.

Week 4-6

Development of the full design, including detailed analysis.

Week 7-9

Creation of the deliverables and preliminary drawing:

Feedback from the committee is available.

Week 10-12

Finalisation of the design, including final drawings with the implementation of feedback from the committee.

Copyright and Conflict of Interest

All submissions to the competition shall be the original work of the team members. Authors retain copyright ownership of all written works submitted to the competition. By participating in the competition, team members and report authors grant the eVTOLUTION consortium a non-exclusive license to reproduce submissions, in whole or in part, for future eVTOLUTION dissemination and communication activities. Appropriate acknowledgement will accompany any reuse of materials.

It should be noted that it shall be considered a conflict of interest for a design professor to write or assist in writing reports and/or judging proposals submitted if with students participating in, or that can be expected to participate in, this competition. A design professor with such a conflict must refrain from participating in the development of such competition reports and/or judging any proposals submitted in such competitions.