LOCAL STUDENTS DESIGN HELICOPTER UNDERCARRIAGE IN SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGE

12 April 2002

Students from around the South are participating in the finals of the Education Business Partnership (EBP) Science & Technology Challenge on Friday 12 April, hosted and sponsored by local firm Lockheed Martin (UK) in Havant. This year, the task is to make modifications (using Lego models) to the undercarriage of the Navy’s latest helicopter – the Merlin – in order to allow it to land on the deck of a small ship in rough seas without sliding overboard. Teams from 27 schools in the Portsmouth and South East Hampshire area have already participated in the early heats of the competition and 12 students from six schools have been selected for the finals.

The students, aged 13-14, will be placed into three mixed teams, as the aim of the challenge is not just technical prowess, but to encourage them to develop their teamwork and communications skills.

The judges are top Lockheed Martin aerospace engineers and have worked on the real Merlin helicopter programme for a number of years. Teams will be judged on three technical parameters: the angle their prototype can withstand before it starts to slide; the cost of the components used; and the weight of those components. These variables are all realistic constraints that designers must consider but the teams will also be required to demonstrate sound teamwork and problem-solving expertise.

The winning team will be selected after a short presentation and demonstration to the judges. They will win a certificate, medal and cup, but also get a VIP day, hosted by Lockheed Martin, at the Farnborough International Airshow in July.

Ron Christenson, Lockheed Martin’s Managing Director said: “We’ve set these young people a challenge based on a real engineering problem, in a real industrial setting. They also have the opportunity to work with professional engineers.

We’d like to think that one day these talented young people will want to come and work for us or in related science and technology fields. Highly skilled engineering jobs are important not just for this area, but for the UK as well.”

Chris Noden of the EBP said: “It is widely acknowledged that young people need to be better prepared for the world of work. Schools are now being encouraged to offer a broader curriculum, incorporating work related learning. This event – which follows the National Science curriculum - has been very successful in achieving these goals.”

Contact:
Jeremy Greaves Tel: +44(0)23 92443977
Mobile : +44(0)788 750 6338
Email: jeremy.greaves@lmco.com