STEM Clubs

School: Hanham High School Status: Completed Date Started: 15 Dec 2009 Date Completed: 1 Mar 2010 Keywords tags: glider flying start challenge aerodynamics Technology Physics Flight Competition No of pupils: 4 Number of views: 464

In a major venture working with the engineering firm MBDA Systems, 32 KS3 pupils (from Year 8) including ASSEC members were invited to take part in a project called the Flying Start Challenge.

Now in its 8th year, the Flying Start Challenge is a school competition run by engineering companies and organisations in the South West of England where pupils design and build a hand-powered glider. It is open to Years 7 to 9 pupils from local schools who, as part of an after-school club or design & technology project, work in teams (from October to March) to design, build and test a model glider. Graduate engineers from sponsoring companies come to the school to give lessons and support the pupils through continued visits to the school as their designs come together.

The challenge is aimed at introducing pupils to aerospace engineering, to encourage their creativity and to enable them to think not just about the design but about how to budget properly. They will learn how to plan and achieve milestones and the methods of running an engineering project, skills much in demand in today’s competitive engineering arena. Local schools then compete at regional heats held in the Gloucester/Cheltenham, Bristol and Yeovil areas. Each team is judged not only on their glider’s performance but also on a presentation about their design and team organisation – it’s not just about the glider that travels the farthest. Working at key stage 3, this is an excellent comparison to the real world where teams are judged on not just their end product but also the accompanying work.

To read more about the venture visit http://www.learninggrid.co.uk/initiatives/flying_start_challenge/index

To kickstart the project pupils spent an exciting day at MBDA where they got shown around their premises, met engineers working on state-of-the-art systems and were given the opportunity to quiz scientists working at the forefront of their fields. After seeing MBDA's facilities and staff (and eating lunch!), pupils were put into groups and given an early opportunity to demonstrate their team-work, design and engineering skills by building a model rollercoaster. MBDA's student ambassadors (graduate engineers enlisted to participate in the Flying Start Challenge) supported each team of four pupils and gave them encouragement and advice during the design and build. The best rollercoasters were judged by applying strict criteria and prizes were awarded for the several categories judged. After goody-bags, pupils left inspired to win the glider competition for Hanham!

Pupils are currently half-way through designing their glilders - working alongside the visiting engineers - and should be ready to start test flights in the New Year.