First place in the DLR Design Challenge 2024: TU Berlin's CHARGE
The winning CHARGE (Carbon-neutral High-efficiency Aircraft for ReGional Electric flight) design combines a box-wing configuration with distributed electric propulsion to achieve a high level of aerodynamic and propulsive efficiency. For its energy supply, the concept relies exclusively on batteries due to their extraordinarily high efficiency. CHARGE is designed to be able to transport 110 passengers over a distance of up to 894 kilometres.
First place – DHBW Ravensburg – 'The Sentinel System'
'The Sentinel System' concept from the team at DHBW Ravensburg relies on proven technology and a high-aspect-ratio wing to enable flight durations of up to 50 hours.
An innovative concept for a supersonic aircraft – an environmental successor to Concorde as it were – was presented by a team from the University of Stuttgart and awarded third place. The concept 'HELESA' proposes a long-stretched aircraft with distinctive variable forward swept wings.
Shape the future of aviation technology with your own ideas during your studies. Develop designs for efficient, low-emission and, if possible, climate-neutral aircraft that address the problems of today's and tomorrow's world. These are the tasks that the German Aerospace Center (DLR) has been setting students throughout Germany since 2017. The DLR Design Challenge addresses different topics each year.
Motivation and objective
The air transport sector will face enormous economic and environmental challenges in the coming years. These require innovative and sustainable ideas and approaches in order to offer added value to society. In this context, since 2017 DLR has held an annual competition for students to come up with futuristic aircraft concepts that are geared towards current areas of focus in aeronautics research. Most importantly, the designs should comprise a coherent overall concept, with a focus on the specific key theme for that year's competition. New issues are emerging in aeronautics research, particularly against the background of climate change and digitalisation. The design concepts should properly engage with issues that are currently critical in aircraft design, with a view to shaping the aeronautical technologies of the future with new innovations and visions. Radical new ideas are therefore required. In recent years, for example, hydrogen-powered aircraft, parcel-delivery drones, and supersonic aircraft have been designed to have a significantly reduced environmental impact.
DLR Design Challenge 2025
This year's DLR Design Challenge calls for the development of concepts for innovative and high-performance MedEvac aircraft for a variety of mission profiles. By balancing operational, medical and cabin requirements, the aircraft should provide medical evacuation solutions with optimal aircraft performance. Join forces, push the boundaries of aeronautical technology and shape the future of emergency air transport!
Procedure
Any students who are interested can register through their university department. They will then receive an invitation to the kick-off event, which usually takes place at a DLR location. The task for this year will be announced there. Some general information about the Design Challenge will also be given, along with an introduction to the topic by experts who are dealing with the issue in their research work. Students will also have the opportunity to exchange ideas with participants from other universities as part of a workshop. The aircraft designs and whole-system concepts will then be developed over a period of several months.
Once the reports have been submitted, the Design Challenge will culminate in the final event, which will also take place at a DLR location. A jury of DLR experts, made up of the Divisional Board Member for Aeronautics and several institute directors from the field of aeronautics research, is responsible for reviewing and evaluating the aircraft designs. This evaluation will be based on the reports and presentations that have been submitted. Finally, the winning teams will be announced and congratulated.
The award-winning teams will be able to present their aircraft concepts at an aeronautics conference and receive an exclusive insight into one of the aeronautics research institutes.
Timeline
19 February 2025
Early announcement of the topic and schedule of the DLR Design Challenge
23 March 2025
E-mail registration deadline for teams via the university's supervising chair
8 April 2025
Kick-off event at DLR, publication of the detailed task brief
21 July 2025
Submission of reports in English (may include content of own Bachelor's and Master's theses)
August 2024
26 August 2025
Closing event at DLR, presentation of the theses and subsequent award ceremony
September/October 2025
Presentation of award-winning work at an aeronautical congress
