We achieved one of our biggest goals by competing in the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) UAS Challenge in the United Kingdom! To top it off, we were mentioned in the Operational Supportability Award Category.

The IMechE UAS Challenge is one of the world's largest student competitions for unmanned aerial systems. For the third consecutive year, students from the Estonian Aviation Academy took part in the competition, and this year marked BlueNimbus' debut. A record-breaking 54 teams from around the world registered to compete, and this year's challenge featured a special agricultural mission theme.

In October 2025, we made the bold decision to develop a Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) drone, allowing us to represent Estonia on the international stage with yet another innovative solution. We are incredibly proud that this effort paid off, as our aircraft received outstanding feedback from both the judges and fellow competitors. We were also recognised in the Operational Supportability Award.

Unfortunately, we were unable to complete the mission successfully. On the first day of the competition, our primary BlueNimbus drone crashed due to a software failure. Fortunately, we had brought a second drone, which we were able to present to the judges. However, because of the strong winds, no further competition flights were possible. Instead, we supported the other teams, learned from some of the best experts in the field, and gained invaluable experience throughout the event.

The competition became an important learning experience for our entire team. The challenges we faced and the emotions we shared brought us even closer together and made our team stronger than ever. We leave the competition with a positive mindset, valuable lessons, and even greater motivation for the future.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all our supporters and sponsors who made this project possible and stood behind our team every step of the way. A special thank you also goes to the Estonian Aviation Academy for supporting us from the very beginning with both expertise and practical assistance.