GEN 08 2025–2026
Zephyros
The team designed Zephyros, a fixed-wing VTOL tricopter for autonomous humanitarian aid missions.
Rebuild Award
University of Twente student engineering
Engineering aid from the air.
We are a University of Twente student team building autonomous aircraft to carry humanitarian aid. We take each design from sketches to flight tests, then compete at the IMechE UAS Challenge.
We build autonomous aircraft for the places that are hardest to reach.
Our aircraft take off without a runway, fly a planned mission, and release a payload autonomously. The aim is simple: reach places where roads or other infrastructure may not be available.
Students do the whole job. We design the airframe, manufacture the parts, wire the electronics, write the software, and test the finished aircraft ourselves.
- Departments
- 6
- Generations
- 8
- Aircraft built
- 8
- UAS campaigns
- 7
Aircraft · 2019–2026
Eight aircraft.
Eight aircraft.
Eight years of lessons.
Every season starts with what the previous aircraft taught us. See how the airframes, propulsion systems, and autonomy stack changed from year to year.
Current team
Meet the people
Students from 6 departments build one aircraft together.
Management 5 people
Team Manager
Full-Time
Miguel Bofil Grandes
Team Manager
Technical Manager
Full-Time
Walid Slimani
Technical Manager
Finance Manager
Part-Time
Furkan Canbolat
Finance Manager
Marketing Manager
Part-Time
Brandon Dcruz
Marketing Manager
Chief External Affairs
Part-Time
Karl Kroski
Chief External Affairs
Airframe 6 people
Chief Airframe
Full-Time
Daniel Luis Mederos
Chief Airframe
Engineer
Part-Time
George Birca
Engineer
Engineer
30 EC Minor
Emiel Keizers
Engineer
Engineer
Part-Time
Ioannis Soulimiotis
Engineer
Engineer
Part-Time
Anis Spiridon
Engineer
Engineer
30 EC Minor
Daniel Simon
Engineer
Electronics & Software 6 people
Chief Electronics
Full-Time
Xavier Taboada
Chief Electronics
Engineer
30 EC Minor
Justin Nguyen
Engineer
Engineer
15 EC Minor
Andre Cuadras Diaz
Engineer
Engineer
15 EC Minor
Elze Mazuronyte
Engineer
Chief Software
Part-Time
Arlen T Croak
Chief Software
Engineer
30 EC Minor
Yousef Hannouneh
Engineer
Aerodynamics 6 people
Chief Aerodynamics
George-Razvan Chirila
Chief Aerodynamics
Engineer
30 EC Minor
Wisang Umam
Engineer
Engineer
15 EC Minor
Nagi Anezaki
Engineer
Engineer
Alejandro Solis Mercado
Engineer
Engineer
15 EC Minor
Alexander Radoslavov Rachev
Engineer
Engineer
Part-Time
Arthur Tyron
Engineer
Dronobox 3 people
Chief Dronobox
Full-Time
Victor Andrei
Chief Dronobox
Engineer
Part-Time
Illia Mirzaali
Engineer
AY
Engineer
Part-Time
Andrii Yevmenchuck
Engineer
Design & Manufacturing 1 people
Manufacturing
Part-Time
Victor Andrei
Manufacturing
Team archive · eight generations
Built by every
Built by every
team before us.
New students take over every year, but the work does not reset. Test data, failed ideas, working parts, and competition experience all pass to the next team.
Explore every team GEN 07 2024–2025
Nightingale
Nightingale completed the team's first fully autonomous competition mission and returned with two awards.
Best Design · Best Media & Engagement
GEN 06 2023–2024
Freebird
The team cut the motor count to four and used tilting front rotors for hover, transition, and forward flight.
Most Promising Team
GEN 05 2022–2023
Nekbeth
The team took Nekbeth, a fast and largely 3D-printed VTOL aircraft, to the UAS Challenge.
IMechE UAS Challenge
Competition record Built to be
Built to be
tested.
A working aircraft is only part of the score. The UAS Challenge also judges design, safety, autonomy, documentation, repairs, and public engagement.
Official UAS results ↗2026
Latest resultBMFA Buckminster, United Kingdom
Rebuild Award
Zephyros · 2026
Recognised with the Rebuild Award at the 2026 UAS Challenge. Zephyros recorded a total competition score of 356 points.
View Zephyros →Nightingale
Best Design · Best Media & Engagement
Freebird
Most Promising Team
Nekbeth
Competed
Thunderbird
Media & Engagement Award
Phoenix
Most Promising Team
VAU2
Innovation Award
Toothless
Debut
Partners
Our partners make the work possible.
Our partners provide materials, facilities, technical advice, and funding. Their support gives students room to build, test, break, repair, and fly a new aircraft each year.
University of Twente 
Supporting partners
7 organisationsHelp us get the next aircraft airborne.
Support can be financial, technical, or in kind.
From the workshop
to the flight line.
Zephyros earns the Rebuild Award
Zephyros finished the 2026 UAS Challenge with 356 points and the Rebuild Award.
Read the update →Introducing Zephyros
Meet the fixed-wing VTOL tricopter, its tilting front motors, and the carbon frame we made in-house.
Read the update →Nightingale completes the mission
Nightingale flew our first complete autonomous competition mission, finished eighth, and won two awards.
Read the update →