RAeS Handbook - Royal Aeronautical Society

Schools Build-a-Plane
Challenge
2012: a year of fi rsts
The first lead school of the Schools Build-a-Plane Challenge
was announced in March 2009, since then five additional
schools have been chosen from around the UK and we
now have six aircraft in various stages of production; from
unpacking the kit to preparing for testing. 2012 looks to be
an exciting year.
The scheme offers 14-18 year-olds a fun, educationallyrelevant
engineering and business project demonstrating the
practical application of Science, Technology, Engineering and
Maths (STEM) subjects and relevance to the real world with
the aim of promoting greater take-up of physics and other
technical subjects. Participating schools are encouraged to
involve other students in aspects of the project, such as IT,
PR, marketing and fundraising and run accompanying aviation
projects in other subjects such as History, Geography, Food
Science, Art & Design.
Thanks to the generous support of Boeing, the Society has
provided light aircraft kits to the six schools involved so far.
The Light Aircraft Association (LAA) is also a key partner,
helping mentor the schools through the build, as well as
monitor and inspect the builds to ensure the aircraft meet
their Permit to Fly requirements when complete.
BUILD 1: YATELEY SCHOOL PROJECT
Yateley School, Hampshire was the first school selected to
lead on a build in their area, becoming very much a pathfinder
for the scheme, identifying how a project of this scale would
succeed in a school context, how long it would really take and
what is actually involved in turning a kit of parts into a real
working aircraft.
Yateley School has worked hard and, with the help of project
partners including Court Moor School in Fleet, Hampshire,
completed its aircraft build in 2011 registering it: G-YTLY.
The aircraft was exhibited at the British Military Tournament
at Earls Court in December. Ground testing is planned for
the new year with the first flight taking place shortly after,
allowing plenty of time for the aircraft to be prepared for its
‘Fly in’ to Farnborough Airshow’s Futures Day 2012.
BUILD 2: MARLING SCHOOL PROJECT
The second build was led by Marling School in Stroud, which
received its kit in Autumn 2009. Great progress has since
been made in partnership with Stroud High and Thomas Keble.
As of December 2011, the aircraft was almost complete with
only a few minor tasks to finish, leading to testing and its first
flight in 2012. The Marling aircraft was exhibited at RIAT and
Careers / Royal Aeronautical Society / Handbook 2012
the British Military Tournament. Students, staff and volunteers
from the build and partnering schools manned the stands at
both shows and helped over 2,000 children experience aircraft
controls ‘hands on’ and interacted with 4,000 visitors who took
an interest in the scheme.
BUILD 3: BRIDGE LEARNING CAMPUS
Bridge Learning Campus in Bristol began its build in 2011
and, despite encountering a few challenges along the way,
the enthusiasm and commitment of the staff, students and
volunteers has remained steadfast and there is now some real
momentum behind the project which looks to grow through
2012 with a greater number of build and wider educational
activities taking place.
BUILD 4: ERCALL WOOD TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE
Ercall Wood Technology College in Telford began building at
the start of 2011 and has made great progress on its aircraft
and its wider educational initiatives. Furthermore, Ercall
Wood has done a fantastic job of promoting its build and
getting volunteers involved. Most recently Ercall Wood staff,
students and volunteers manned stands at ‘The Flying Show’
in the NEC and at the Light Aircraft Design Conference at the
RAeS HQ in London.
BUILD 5 & 6: ERNESFORD GRANGE & NEWA
Both Ernesford Grange in Coventry and the North East
Wolverhampton Academy were selected to be part of the
process and are due to receive their kits early in 2012. Both
schools have already embarked on an ambitious programme
of wider educational activities and partnerships with local
business, educational establishment and the community.
31