When the students arrive each morning for first and second period aerospace engineering the students come together to plan the build for the day working off what the other class did the previous day. The students are responsible for all the bending, riveting and bolting together of the aircraft while maintaining their engineering log sheets to keep track of the work they have done for the day.
With the project the students have gained valuable experience learning how to work with hand tools, read design sheets and most importantly work around mistakes they have made. Each day they have to overcome a hurdle whether it is trying to make sense of what the previous group did or make sense of the design sheets that accompanied the plane. At the end of the year these students will have gained knowledge of not only the actual aircraft and its parts but how to work as a team to accomplish such a lofty goal.
When we first started none of the students felt they could build an airplane. Now as we approach the end of the build and they see that the goal was attainable and it provides them with the valuable lesson that they should never quit because they think they cannot accomplish something. In the end I believe they surprised themselves and that is all that can be asked for with this build.
Chris Murrell
BHS Aerospace Teacher