Young achievers take flight in aviation challenge

A group of students have designed and built their own model aeroplanes during a day designed to raise awareness about careers in aviation.

40 Year-12 students from regional colleges and schools battled it out at the first Student Aviation Challenge, organised by Teesside University in conjunction with Middlesbrough College, Hartlepool College for Further Education and the Further Maths Network.

Each team was first tasked to design a standard glider and then, following a series of lectures on flight from subject specialists, was allocated a number of materials and challenged to build their own glider.

The winning team from Haydon Bridge High School, Northumbria, consisted of Martha Brooks, Josh Wilson, Catherine Grey and Sian Hopkins.

Alex Ellin, Senior Lecturer in Aerospace Engineering at Teesside University, said: 'All of the students seemed to have a great time and really got involved with all of the activities.

'We’ve offered them the chance to build their own aeroplanes and we’ve also given them an introduction to the maths and science of flight and shown them how to use that knowledge in the real world, in their studies and then in their careers.

'We offer a degree that is delivered between the University and Hartlepool College, exploring the more theoretical aspects of the course at our main campus but also making practical use of the facilities available at Hartlepool. Hopefully, we’ve inspired the students to further explore engineering in the future.'

The Aerospace Engineering programme at Teesside University was introduced in 2012 and focuses on understanding the theory behind the design of aircraft and aerospace systems, while also developing transferable skills within other engineering sectors. The first cohort of students will graduate in 2015.

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