REACH
NEW
FRONTIERS.
KUAVA is Koç University's student-led unmanned aerial vehicle team. We design, build, and fly autonomous aircraft, competing nationally and internationally.
Founded
2023YR
Members
20+ENG
Competitions
7TOTAL
Location
41.20°N 29.07°E
Built to compete.
Wired to win.
Koç University Aerial Vehicles Association brings together engineers across mechanical, electrical, software, and strategy disciplines — all unified by a single goal: autonomous aerial supremacy.
5
UAVs developed
7
Competitions entered
20+
Active engineers
4
Technical divisions
DIV · 01
Mechanical
Aerodynamic design, structures, CAD, and manufacturing from the ground up.
DIV · 02
Electrical
Avionics, power distribution, sensor integration, and communication systems.
DIV · 03
Software
Autonomous flight control, computer vision, navigation, and ground station software.
DIV · 04
Strategy
Sponsorships, partnerships, media, competition planning, and STEM outreach.
Our aircraft.
Five airframes. Each one a leap forward in our engineering capability.
UAV · 001
Phoenix
VT2 · VTOL PLATFORM
Modular VTOL configuration designed for endurance research and payload delivery missions. Transitions between multi-rotor hover and fixed-wing cruise.
Flight Time
30 MIN
Range
20-25 KM
Payload
10 KG
Propulsion
VTOL
UAV · 002
Goshawk
FW1 · FIXED-WING
A fixed-wing push motor V-tail. Competed in the Teknofest 2023, 2024 fixed-wing division.
Flight Time
25 MIN
Range
5-10 KM
Payload
1.5 KG
Propulsion
Single Electric Pusher Motor
UAV · 003
Chidori
VT1 · VTOL PIONEER
Our first VTOL platform. Pioneered vertical take-off and landing capability. Competed in the METU VTOL 2023 competition.
Flight Time
30 MIN
Range
20-25 KM
Payload
4 KG
Propulsion
5 Electric Motors
UAV · 004
Şahika
FW2 · FIXED-WING
Twin-engine fixed-wing platform built for precise ballistic payload delivery. Flies a fully autonomous mission from take-off through target detection, payload drop, and landing.
Flight Time
50 MIN
Range
40-80 KM
Payload
4 KG
Propulsion
Twin Electric Motors
UAV · 005
AEROM
VT3 · VTOL PLATFORM
Tri-motor tiltrotor VTOL airframe built for fast, reliable deployment. Transitions between tri-rotor hover and fixed-wing cruise, purpose-built for forest fire prevention missions.
Flight Time
35 MIN
Range
30-40 KM
Payload
6 KG
Propulsion
Tri Electric Motors
Competition history.
We've competed in seven events across national platforms since 2022.
2023
TEKNOFEST UAV Competition
Fixed-Wing Division · Ankara
Finalist
Fixed-Wing
2023
TEKNOFEST UAV Competition
Fixed-Wing Division · Ankara
Finalist
Fixed-Wing
2023
METU VTOL Aircraft Competition
Ankara
Finalist
VTOL
2023
METU VTOL Aircraft Competition
Ankara
Finalist
VTOL
2024
TEKNOFEST UAV Competition
Fixed-Wing Division · Istanbul
Finalist
Fixed-Wing
2024
TEKNOFEST UAV Competition
Fixed-Wing Division · Istanbul
Finalist
Fixed-Wing
2024
METU VTOL Aircraft Competition
Ankara
Finalist
VTOL
2024
METU VTOL Aircraft Competition
Ankara
Finalist
VTOL
2025
METU VTOL Aircraft Competition
9th Edition · Sponsored by Boeing
Finalist
VTOL
2025
METU VTOL Aircraft Competition
9th Edition · Sponsored by Boeing
Finalist
VTOL
2026
TEKNOFEST Farming Competition
Active · In progress
Active
2026
TEKNOFEST Farming Competition
Active · In progress
Active
2026
Farm Robotics Challenge
Prospective · August
Prospective
2026
Farm Robotics Challenge
Prospective · August
Prospective
What we're building.
An honest look at where we are and where we're going.
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Back our mission.
KUAVA is building the next generation of UAV engineers. Our sponsors are the companies that believe in nurturing that talent and putting their name behind real aerospace innovation.
Visibility
Your brand reaches thousands of engineers, academics, and industry professionals through competitions, events, and our digital presence.
Talent Pipeline
Direct access to Koç University's most driven engineering students. Our members have gone on to roles at aerospace firms, top startups, and research labs worldwide.
Innovation Partnership
Co-develop real solutions in UAV, autonomy, and embedded systems. Your technology challenges become our engineering projects.
/ Current partners
Our sponsors.
Get in touch.
Interested in sponsoring or collaborating? We recruit once per semester. Looking for engineers who want real problems, not coursework.
Location
Koç University · Rumelifeneri Yolu
34450 Sarıyer / Istanbul
Divisions
Mechanical · Electrical
Software · Strategy
Response
Within 7 days during recruitment window.