Engineering students at Loughborough University (www.lboro.ac.uk) have been named as overall winners of the IMechE’s (www.imeche.org) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Challenge.

Now in its second year, this encourages teams of undergraduates to design and build a UAS with specific mission objectives, before competing in a ‘fly-off’.

Loughborough’s team leader Alex Taylor said: “We’re delighted to have won this year’s challenge. It’s been extremely rewarding to be a part of such a talented and motivated team. I’ve learnt an awful lot and gained hugely valuable experience that I will take forward with me through my career.”

Alistair Cowin, chief judge of the UAS Challenge, said: “The competition helps students learn practical aerospace engineering skills, and it encourages links between industry and universities. It’s also a great opportunity for people to meet the next generation of engineers and see what they’re capable of. This year has been a major step forward.”

Deputy chief judge Lambert Dopping-Hepenstal said: “Loughborough University were consistent in every single category and definitely raised the bar. They performed particularly well in the design and manufacturing categories, which set them up well for the rest of the competition. They are deserving winners and I look forward to seeing them come back again next year.”