Aerospace Challenge

    Aerospace Challenge

    Page up to date as of 7/3/13

    The official Aerospace Challenge website is here.

    This is run in the spring/summer terms for the L8 (and U8), and we strongly recommend that you participate when the time comes.

    It is a national competition open to the L8 (and U8) with a week at Cranfield including flying lessons for the 12 finalist teams and a £5000 prize for the eventual winners (chosen during the week at Cranfield [each team member will receive £850 with the rest going to the school] ).

    In 2005, a SPS team were the overall winners, and in 2006 3 SPS teams attended a week at Cranfield. In the four years that St Paul's teams have entered the competition, one has won and one has been runner up. In 2007, both SPS teams that entered progressed to the national final at Cranfield.

     

    Aerospace Challenge 2013:

    It is good to have so many teams (11) wanting to take part in this year’s Aerospace Challenge – it’s an interesting competition which gives good exposure to engineering/physics, and has some great rewards along the way. Due to the high quality of our entrances in the past, we have an agreement with the organisers that we will only submit 2 teams maximum; given our reputation, we only submit 2 teams if they are of a sufficiently high standard. The 2 selected teams will formally enter the competition for St Paul’s, and therefore have the chance to be selected to attend the finals at Cranfield University this summer.

    Information about the competition can be found at http://www.aerospacechallenge.org/. Please note the final format as described under Rules. The brief is listed under RAF requirement:

    The RAF is currently equipped to carry out a wide variety of operational roles. Given the uncertainty inherent in preparing for the future should it consider adding a seaplane or amphibian to its fleet? What could be the potential advantages of such a type and what roles or efficiency savings could it offer?

    SAC life tip!
    Whenever one is selling a new idea it always helps if you can show you are fully aware of the existing situation including its advantages and disadvantages. Without showing you understand the history behind the topic, you invite older senior people to trash your ideas by allowing them to say “They don’t even understand the problem”.


    Task 1 - deadline: 09:00 on Friday 15th March 2013

    Note that late submission or failure to follow the instructions will lead to disqualification

    Work as a team to produce a summary document (NO MORE THAN 1 side of A4) which:

    • Confirms the team name, the 3 team members and the team contact.
    • Summarises your interpretation of the key points of the requirement.
    • Summarises and describes a creative idea relevant to the requirement - you may include an image or images on a second A4 sheet (sketch/ drawing/ 3Dmodel view for example).

    Please email me with your document as a pdf attachment before the deadline.

    PGD


    PS: I anticipate that from the 11 teams, 5 will go on to complete full submissions based on selection from Task 1. I would like to have then chosen the final 2 teams by the Easter Remedy based on Task 2.

    Remember: successful teams plan and communicate - well. Rubbish ones don’t.