The final round of the fifth China Graduate Future Flight Vehicle Innovation Competition, also called “Feisha,” was held in Xiamen, Fujian Province from July 20 to 21. The Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen (HITSZ) team fetched a first-prize award with their creative design of a variable-camber, flexible aerofoil driven by shape-memory alloys and an electric machine.

Aerofoils are curved structures designed for flight and are components of most aircrafts, namely in the wings, fins, and horizontal stabilizers.

The team took an innovative approach to the assembly of the variable camber of their aerofoil. Their design made it easy to modulate the aerofoil based on different flight requirements, which facilitates the maintenance and expansion of the aerofoil.

Themed “Opening up, innovating and pursuing dreams,” the competition attracted 508 teams from 125 graduate schools such as Zhejiang University, Fudan University and Northwestern Polytechnical University. With 451 entries and 2,119 participants, this competition was the largest-scale event of its kind in its history.

After fierce competition in four rounds, namely presentation, display, flight demonstration and expert consultation, 15 entries stood out and won the first prizes.

(Zhong Qiqi)