More than 90 teams began flying at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio this week, trying to haul 49.9 kg (110 pounds) or more with aircraft that weigh less than 24.9 kg (55 pounds). DARPA is putting $6.5 million behind the attempt. Buried in the prize rules is a clause almost nobody has reported: if the top three finishers land below a 4:1 payload-to-weight ratio, each of them collects half of what the headline number promises.
The Lift Challenge runs August 2 through 9. Weigh-in and inspection happened Sunday. The DARPAtv livestream went up Monday. Four public days open Thursday, August 6, and the awards ceremony is Sunday, August 9. Admission and parking are free. DroneXL has followed this competition since the agency published its special notice in October 2025, and the rules have tightened steadily in the months since.
That 50 percent clause is the most honest sentence in the whole document. DARPA built a competition around a number current aviation cannot reach, then wrote down what happens when Dayton does not reach it either.
The Prize Structure Pays Full Awards Only Above A 4:1 Ratio
DARPA splits the pool into objective and subjective categories. The payload-to-weight ratio is the primary metric, worth $2.5 million for first place, $1.5 million for second and $1 million for third. The published prize rules then add the qualifier: teams finishing in the top three below a 4:1 ratio receive 50 percent of the award…