Community-youth, Youth

Letting Ideas take Flight: Exploring the World of Aeromodelling

27 Jul 2023
Text by: Yuvika Akar, NTU AeroSoc

Reveling in the excitement that the Wright Brothers witnessed almost 110 years ago? That is what Aeromodelling is all about. Models can range from small handheld ones to powered planes. It is often divided into categories, with some being free flight, control line, and radio control. This activity that intertwines design, development, and flight has captured the imaginations of countless enthusiasts across the world, even corporate executives. We at NTU’s Aerospace society have taken the lead in fostering this passion amongst university students through numerous aeromodelling workshops across the years.

Our most recent one a few months ago was a thrilling recreational competition that catered to both experienced enthusiasts and random students of all academic disciplines. With items such as sturdy Styrofoam, clay, balsa wood and plastic bottles at their disposal, students came together in teams of 4 and 5 to create aircrafts and prove their air-worth! Their creativity extended beyond their unique group names to their aircraft designs as they grappled with the fundamental principles of how and why flights take place.

With the help of water and compressed air, their aircrafts took off as our leaders judged it on creativity, distance, and flight time. Newton said it best: whatever goes up, must come down. It was incredible to see novices learn and take careful consideration of design, weight distribution, and balance to design the optimal model.

The multifaceted benefits of these aeromodelling workshops extend beyond the sheer excitement of watching it fly; It allows students to master self-articulation and take the first step into venturing into the field of UAVS. It has a lot to offer, and although we get them started with standard materials that you can find anywhere, students can venture out to create powered models that fly with the help of engines and propellers. Lets just say it can be an expensive hobby for the fellow technocrat!

It is crucial for our society to present activities that explore scientific principles in a hands-on and enjoyable manner for all students alike. We hope that every workshop and competition stand as an enriching experience that has the power to shape young minds and open doors to new opportunities. By allowing their ideas to take flight, we intend to ultimately create a space that breathes life to our future pilot, aero-engineers, and more!