Koç University · Istanbul, TR · Est. 2020

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KUAVA is Koç University's student-led unmanned aerial vehicle team. We design, build, and fly autonomous aircraft, competing nationally and internationally.

Founded

2020YR

Members

40+ENG

Competitions

7TOTAL

Location

41.20°N 29.07°E

/ 01   About

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.

3

UAVs developed

7

Competitions entered

40+

Active engineers

4

Technical divisions

/ 02   Fleet

Our aircraft.

Three airframes. Each one a leap forward in our engineering capability.

Phoenix
VT2 · VTOL PLATFORM

UAV · 001

Phoenix

VT2 · VTOL PLATFORM

In Development

Modular VTOL configuration designed for endurance research missions. Transitions between multi-rotor hover and fixed-wing cruise.

Flight Time

30 MIN

Range

20-25 KM

Payload

8 KG

Propulsion

VTOL

View details →
Goshawk
FW1 · FIXED-WING

UAV · 002

Goshawk

FW1 · FIXED-WING

Retired

A fixed-wing push motor V-tail. Competed in the Teknofest fixed-wing division.

Flight Time

25 MIN

Range

5-10 KM

Payload

1.5 KG

Propulsion

PUSHER

View details →
Chidori
VT1 · VTOL PIONEER

UAV · 003

Chidori

VT1 · VTOL PIONEER

Retired

Our first VTOL platform. Pioneered vertical take-off and landing capability. Competed in the METU VTOL competition.

Flight Time

30 MIN

Range

20-25 KM

Payload

4 KG

Propulsion

VTOL

View details →
/ 03   Record

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

METU VTOL Aircraft Competition

Ankara

Finalist

VTOL

2024

TEKNOFEST UAV Competition

Fixed-Wing Division · Istanbul

Finalist

Fixed-Wing

2024

METU VTOL Aircraft Competition

Ankara

Finalist

VTOL

2025

METU VTOL Aircraft Competition

9th Edition · Sponsored by Boeing

Finalist

VTOL

2026

TEKNOFEST Farming Competition

Active · In progress

Active

2026

TEKNOFEST Fixed-Wing International

Active · In progress

Active

/ 04   Roadmap

What we're building.

An honest look at where we are and where we're going.

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/ 05   Sponsor

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.

/ 06   Join

Get in touch.

Interested in sponsoring or collaborating? We recruit once per semester. Looking for engineers who want real problems, not coursework.