The student association Beoavia, based at the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, is entering the new competition season with a series of ambitious projects. Among them, the development of the unmanned cargo aircraft “Svitac” stands out, designed for participation in the prestigious Air Cargo Challenge 2026. The aircraft’s primary mission will be the transport of cargo, specifically 0.33-liter cans.
The Air Cargo Challenge is one of the most prominent student competitions in aerospace engineering, bringing together teams from universities around the world. The goal is to design, build, and test cargo aircraft capable of carrying the maximum payload while completing assigned missions in the shortest possible time, all within strict technical and operational constraints. The competition will take place on June 30 in Stuttgart.
Designing the “Svitac” aircraft posed a significant engineering challenge. The team was tasked with developing a compact and reliable aircraft capable of transporting as many cans as possible within a limited timeframe. At the same time, they had to meet strict requirements related to dimensions, energy consumption, and propulsion system selection. Traditional approaches, such as using large wingspans, proved impractical. Instead, the team focused on achieving an optimal balance between aerodynamics, structural strength, and stability. The final design solution features a compact aircraft with fixed landing gear, twin engines, and a mid-wing configuration.
The team is currently working on building a prototype, a crucial phase in the development of the final model. Testing procedures will enable further refinement of the technical solution and preparation for the competition. This year, Beoavia also has a new pilot, for whom working with the prototype will serve as valuable hands-on training. The association’s president, Daniel Sojčić, emphasised that participation in the competition provides an opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world engineering challenges, while also showcasing Serbian students on the international stage.
Founded in 2018, Beoavia now brings together around 75 students from multiple faculties of the University of Belgrade. As the only representative of Serbia in such competitions, the team focuses on the development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and rockets.
Over the past eight years, the team has completed 17 projects and achieved notable success. For the Air Cargo Challenge, they developed aircraft such as RN-19, Phoenix and Putnik, designed transporting different types of cargo. They have also achieved success at the Airbus Sloshing Rocket Workshop, where their “Aurora” rocket gliders won several awards. A standout achievement was “Aurora 3”, which secured first place in Spain in 2022. In 2023, Beoavia hosted this competition in Belgrade. At the New Flying Competition, the team won third and fourth place with their VTOL-configured aircraft “Osa” and “Kos”. In 2025, the team also introduced a new unmanned aircraft “Sup”.