Akamodell Hosts Air Cargo Challenge in Stuttgart

Transport as many beverage cans as possible through the air—and do so as quickly as possible: The university group Akamodell organized the Air Cargo Challenge and devised an exciting task for the participating teams. Two years ago, the group had won the challenge for the fourth time in Aachen. As the organizers, they did not participate in the competition themselves this year. “It’s really exciting to see what the teams have come up with and to exchange ideas with them after a year of preparation without any communication,” says Jannik Frank of the Akamodell board. “The mood at the competitions is consistently positive, and the atmosphere is very collegial.”

First place went to Team AeroUD from the University of Udine, second place to the AkaModell group from the Technical University of Munich, and third place to Xtra2 UPV from the Polytechnic University of Valencia. With 37 teams registered, this year’s challenge was not only the largest ever, but also featured a new rule: “This year, we allowed the aircraft to fly with two engines, as long as the total power remained the same. That means even larger aircraft can participate,” says Jannik Frank of the Akamodell board. The challenge was to transport as many 330-ml beverage cans as possible while flying as fast as possible. The model airplanes’ propulsion power was limited to about 360 watts. The takeoff run was 60 meters long—and there was a bonus if the plane took off within 40 meters.

About 20 students are involved in the Akamodell team, most of whom are studying aerospace engineering. This allows them to apply the knowledge they gain in their studies to real-world situations and gain experience under real-world conditions. “Together, we can tackle even larger engineering projects that wouldn’t be possible on our own,” says Jannik. In 2028, the team will be able to compete again in the Air Cargo Challenge in Italy.

Die Air Cargo Challenge (ACC) ist Europas größter studentischer Konstruktionswettbewerb im Bereich Luft- und Raumfahrt und findet alle zwei Jahre statt. Studierende entwickeln, bauen und fliegen dabei ferngesteuerte Flugzeuge, die dabei möglichst hohe Nutzlasten transportieren und sowohl in der Flugleistung als auch in der technischen Ausarbeitung bewertet werden.