Team MEGHDOOT Secured 1st Place in Flight Mission Score at AIAA Design/Build/Fly 2025, Arizona, USA
Team MEGHDOOT from the Department of Aeronautical Engineering, Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), has marked a significant achievement at the AIAA Design/Build/Fly (DBF) 2025 competition. The team secured 39th position globally among 112 universities and earned several notable rankings in Asia.
The team ranked 1st in South Asia in the Flying Mission category and 2nd in South Asia overall, outperforming institutions from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, India and Pakistan. In the overall category, the team also placed 5th in Asia, reinforcing MIST’s strong presence in the international DBF community.
Team MEGHDOOT consisted of students from AE-13, AE-14 and AE-15. Their aircraft, Akashtori 2.0, was designed and built to meet the requirements of the X-1 Supersonic Flight Test Program, the central theme of this year’s DBF challenge. The Fly-Off took place at TIMPA, Tucson, Arizona, from April 10–13, 2025.
The competition required teams to develop an electric aircraft capable of carrying external and internal fuel tanks made from commercial beverage bottles and to deploy an autonomous X-1 glider mid-flight. The X-1 vehicle had to transition into stable, unpowered flight and navigate toward a designated landing area to earn mission points. This year’s rules introduced strict payload constraints, structural requirements and safety conditions, along with the challenge of integrating an autonomous glider with no radio-controlled receiver.
The autonomous glider was one of the most demanding components of the project. It had to be released in mid-air, stabilize itself, perform a planned flight path and reach the target area without any propulsion. Meeting these requirements pushed the team to refine the glider’s design and control logic. Completing the technical inspection also proved difficult, and the team missed their first flight call. Despite these setbacks, they recovered and successfully completed two flight missions and the ground mission with a strong score, securing the highest flight mission score in South Asia.
Only three student members attended the Fly-Off due to academic commitments. The members were Mahfuzur Rahman (AE-14), Md. Musfiqur Rahaman (AE-14) and Md. Mashhunur Rahman (AE-13). Their commitment was notable, as they managed the full workload while preparing to sit for their term final examinations immediately after returning to Bangladesh.
The project was guided by faculty members Lec Saif Reza, Lec Nafiz Redwan, Lec Md Ridwan Hasan and RA Asif Hasnayeen, whose support played an important role in meeting the competition standards.
The AIAA officially covered the competition and its results. The team continues to share updates through its platforms:
- Website: mistdbf.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/mist.dbf
- Facebook: facebook.com/AIAA.DBF.MIST
Team MEGHDOOT’s performance in 2025 reflects the dedication of the students and faculty, as well as the department’s growing experience in the global DBF arena. Their achievement continues MIST’s tradition of excellence in aerospace engineering competitions.