Dear valued partner,
 
Together, we raised $2,525 through our fall 2025 ZotFunder campaign in support of UAV Forge’s R&D, manufacturing and testing efforts as we prepare for the upcoming Student Unmanned Aerial Systems (SUAS) competition later this year.
 
 Throughout fall quarter and even as winter break rolled by, our team was hard at work, engaged with the design and prototyping phase of development. We have finalized major design decisions and plan to move into the manufacturing phase as winter quarter progresses.
 
 In the coming months, we will continue to test and integrate the different components that all our subteams have been hard at work developing. As our aircraft comes together, we expect to ramp up our flight days during what has been historically the busiest and most impactful phase of our season.
 
The funds raised will go directly towards purchasing essential components, including high-performance motors, sensors, avionics, cameras, compute stacks, custom PCBs and specialized batteries, necessary for the UAV's autonomous flight, object detection and payload delivery systems. Your support also offsets manufacturing costs, as the team fabricates custom components using materials such as carbon fiber and 3D printing technologies. Even with rising component prices, supply-chain delays and customs issues, your contribution has allowed UAV Forge to maintain momentum and continue to overcome limitations.
 
Specifically, $1,500 will be allocated toward SUAS registration fees, $425 will support the manufacturing of custom printed circuit boards (PCBs), and $600 will be used to procure essential avionics components, including sensors, power distribution hardware and other flight avionics.
 
You have helped us match the innovation pace of larger teams, enabling UAV Forge to compete at the highest level and ensuring every student has access to a top-tier engineering experience.
 
 We are deeply grateful for your partnership and look forward to continuing this work together.
 
 With gratitude,
 Anthony Tam
 Operations Lead, UAV Forge

Only 30 days left before the close of our campaign!

We thank everyone who has donated for their generosity. We’ve raised almost 50% of our $5,000 fundraising goal for UAV Forge! Your support helps us with our aircraft development as we move towards our initial prototypes and testing phases, bringing us closer to competition!
 
So far, we’ve tested our vision on objects necessary for our competition task and continued to refine our flight path. Our team has been hard at work designing a new aircraft and the initial support has allowed us to confidently order the electronics to get this year’s development off the ground! Thanks to your gift, we’re better equipped to provide search-and-rescue UAV technology, representing the UC Irvine brand on an international stage.
 
As we enter the holiday season, your continued support is more important than ever. Giving Tuesday is tomorrow, and we ask you to please consider sharing our ZotFunder campaign with your network to help us reach even more supporters! As we move towards finalizing and manufacturing our final aircraft, every dollar contributes to every part of every flight.

Thank you for being part of UAV innovation, and we’re empowered by your ongoing support!
 
Warm regards,
Anthony Tam
Operations Lead, UAV Forge