Mike Thorburn was excited about the idea of traveling to Texas with some of his Cal State LA students to compete in a 3D-Printed Aircraft Competition. The University of Texas at Arlington competition has a formidable reputation among college competitors and would have served as the perfect venue for Thorburn’s College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Technology (ECST) seniors to challenge themselves against top competition from around the country.
Upon second thought, Thorburn realized the funding for airfare and lodging in Texas would be better used if Cal State LA started its own competition that would allow more students to participate.
So, flying off to Texas for an aircraft competition was nixed, and Thorburn remained grounded in Los Angeles to organize a new competition.
That was in 2022, and ECST hosted its third CSU 3D-Printed Fixed-Wing Aircraft Competition (C-3DPAC) at University Stadium and Jesse Owens Track at 9 a.m. on May 31, 2025. A week later, on June 7, Cal State LA will host the second CSU California Unmanned Aerial Systems Competition (C-UASC) at the Mojave Air and Space Port (MASP) at Rutan Field in Mojave.
Although still in their infancy, the events have become popular.
“We have a lot of teams coming back,” said Thorburn. “I think that speaks volumes about our event. Everyone has a good time, and it’s been great for the students. We have a pretty good return rate.”
This year’s C-3DPAC field included 20 teams from 11 universities and colleges, including four teams each from Cal State LA and CSU Bakersfield; two each from Bakersfield College, Norco College, and El Centro de Enseñanza Técnica y Superior from Tijuana, Mexico; and one each from Cal Poly, CSU Fullerton, East Los Angeles College, San Diego State, Stanford, and UC Irvine.
By comparison, eight teams from five institutions competed during the first year, university officials noted.
The competition consists of flying the student-designed 3D-printed aircraft up to 35 feet high for eight seconds before gliding them back safely to the ground. There is also a separate design innovation competition.
The competition challenges students to design, integrate, and demonstrate an unmanned aerial system capable of autonomous flight, navigation, and execution of a specific set of tasks. The vehicles may be fixed-wing, quadcopters, or other aero drones.
Cal State LA’s senior engineering students have been working on the project since the fall semester.
“They design the planes, test them, write reports, and give presentations as part of their senior design project,” Thorburn said. “The competition gives them a year-long project they can focus on.”
Last spring, Thorburn co-organized the C-UASC event at the urging of Tim Reid, former CEO of MASP, who wanted a competition in the desert, partly to introduce students to engineering job opportunities at MASP.
This year’s competition will feature two teams from Cal State LA, and one each from Cal Poly, CSU Bakersfield, CSU Channel Islands, CSU Northridge, San Diego State, Cornell University, Mississippi State University, and the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay).
For more information: CalStateLA.edu
