
Eagle Ray Design Challenge 2021
Endangered Snow Leopards are being hunted for their coats and body parts. Teams around the world are preparing to stop the onslaught of these majestic creatures with Eagle Ray, a blended wing body drone, that will soar the skies with intelligence, endurance, and agility.
Eagle Ray Design Challenge

Upcoming Events
- Jun 26, 9:00 AM – Jun 30, 5:00 PMAWS Think Big Space, 490 Evergreen Ml Rd, Leesburg, VA 20175, USADiscover the power of drones and A.I. with KwF! Our 5-day hands-on workshop will equip you with the skills to build, apply and combine these technologies for project-based learning. Register to develop the knowledge and capabilities needed to create projects that solve real-world challenges.
- Mon, Jun 26AWS Think Big RoomJun 26, 9:00 AM EDT – Jun 30, 3:00 PM EDTAWS Think Big Room, 490 Evergreen Ml Rd, Leesburg, VA 20175, USAKwF is a world leader in educational robotics, providing all ages with innovative & hands-on learning experiences. The workshop offers a comprehensive course to teach the basics of drone design, fabrication, and robotic systems integration. Register today so you can soar to new heights with robots!
- Mon, Jun 26AWS Think Big RoomJun 26, 3:00 PM EDT – Jun 29, 5:00 PM EDTAWS Think Big Room, 490 Evergreen Ml Rd, Leesburg, VA 20175, USAFrom dataset to detection: learn to apply A.I. tools for real-time computer vision during this hands-on workshop. Register now and start learning the skills necessary to incorporate the power of A.I. into your next project!
MISSION PROTECT SNOW LEOPARDS
Most aircraft designs reflect the creativity and expertise of at most a few great engineers. At KwF, we look to the world for good ideas and great engineering. Our mission is to save endangered species from extinction, so we have reached out in the broadest sense for invention and innovation to meet our demanding mission capabilities.
For more than a decade, KwF has been operating aircraft around the world protecting endangered cats, rhinos, sea turtles, and many other species. We integrated airframes, power and propulsion systems to carry sensors, high performance computers, and special components needed to perform our missions. Operating on battery or liquid fuel, the aircraft met most of our mission needs.
But the mission that drove us to create KwF -- protecting the elusive snow leopards and other endangered species in the Himalayas -- eluded us with demands on flight performance that cannot be met by any existing aircraft. To support this mission, the aircraft must operate at very high altitude while close to ground below and to the sides as they navigate through extremely rocky terrain while encountering high and highly variable winds with snow, ice, and freezing rain. Remote from any conceivable operating base, and with needs to patrol over tens of thousands of square kilometers, the aircraft must be able to stay on station for days processing data, making decisions, and taking swift action when needed, all while barely making a sound.
Ready to face these challenges, KwF turned to Mark Page, creator of the modern blended wing body (BWB) aircraft design. We asked him to design a planform and airfoil stack for an aircraft with gross takeoff mass less than 25 kg (to comply with Federal Aviation Administration regulations) that is efficient and agile while able to operate in high winds. Rooted in a long history of successful Mark Page designs, he provided a Baseline adjusted for the flight characteristics required for the KwF missions.



