Rev-2 Takes to the Sky

At the 2025 Vertical Flight Society’s DBVF competition, the Texas A&M Vertical Flight Design Team fielded Rev-2 — our fastest, heaviest, and most capable aircraft yet. Read about all of our new technical innovation in our Full Technical Report.

Last week, TAMU VFD competed in the National Vertical Flight Society Design-Build-Vertical Flight (DBVF) competition, fielding our next-generation aircraft Rev-2. While Rev-2 uses the same quadrotor biplane tailsitter (QBiT) configuration as Rev-1, the similarities end there. Rev-2 is 25 pounds, with it’s 5 pound payload able to be precisely delivered from over 50 feet in the air using our custom revolving payload delivery system.

Rev-2 also features canted motors and control surfaces, allowing for a significant control authority upgrade, much to the pleasure of our pilot David Coleman. Our new wing mounting system allowed for modular wing replacements, and removed the wings from the load path of the aircraft, letting us choose an airfoil with increased aerodynamic characteristics. All of these aerodynamic improvements led to an aircraft with a top speed in excess of 80 mph, a 20 mph increase over Rev-1 despite being double the weight. And of course, Rev-2 was capable of both piloted and fully autonomous flight, showcasing next generation firefighting capabilities.

These technological breakthroughs would never have been possible without constant support of Dr. Moble Benedict and the Advanced Vertical Flight Lab, as well as our generous sponsors Good Bull Capital, The Association of Former Students, and Collaborative Innovation Consulting.

Unfortunately, harsh weather conditions limited Rev-2’s full ability at the competition. While we placed 6th out of 11, we came away with much more than a ranking. Extreme wind gusts and limited flight windows may have shaped the outcome, but the technical and teamwork lessons we learned will guide everything we do next.

With the hard-earned insights gained over the past season — and some new partnerships on the horizon — we’re approaching next year with more momentum, clarity, and drive than ever before. We’re proud of how far Rev-2 took us, and even more excited for where we’re flying next.