STEM Learning Based on Aircraft Design: An Interdisciplinary Strategy Developed to Science Clubs Colombia

This article describes a STEM learning strategy based on aircraft design in order to promote the development of aeronautical science in Colombia. This teaching strategy was developed by specialized instructors from the Science Clubs Colombia program, seeking to stimulate in young Colombian students their passion for science, technology, and innovation, and in the process, create an international network of academic collaborations. Bloom’s taxonomy was used to classify and select both the educational objectives, as well as the teaching plan of the science club. STEM activities that encourage students to perform hands-on learning experiences were the basis of this framework. Essentially, interdisciplinary activities involving aeronautics, electronics, computational simulations, and technical drawing; characterized this science club. As a result, the students were able to design, manufacture and test their own hand-launched air-model, applying all steps of the scientific method: the conception of ideas, design, execution of experiments, and communication of results. After the first flight tests of the air-models, the students disclosed an ability to apply their mathematics knowledge in conjunction with their science learning on the forces of flight, in order to improve their launching technique. Therefore, both the time and range of the air-models were enhanced. Finally, both students and instructors benefited throughout the learning interaction, since it was the first time that a rural community is the scenario of an aeronautical engineering training process. It is expected that the dissemination of this material will contribute to the Colombian aeronautical community, giving outlooks for new research proposals and cooperation frameworks between government entities and universities.

A SHORT HISTORY OF SEMINARS ON “RECENT RESEARCH AND DESIGN PROGRESS IN AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING AND ITS INFLUENCE ON EDUCATION”

The aeronautical sciences and aerospace industry are by nature international. Coming from this thesis, we decided in 1994 to organise an international meeting, further called the Seminar, devoted to “RECENT RESEARCH AND DESIGN PROGRESS IN AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING AND ITS INFLUENCE ON EDUCATION”. The objective of that first Seminar and following ones was to organise a multinational forum for discussion and interchange of aeronautical issues and subjects, focusing on their influence on university education. Other goals included promoting international co-operation in the study of the problems in aeronautical science and technology in which there was a common interest and facilitating personal contacts between scientists, university lecturers, and industrial engineers. Our area of interest was aeronautical technology, as it is widely understood. The special focus of our Seminars was concentrated on Aircraft Design, Aircraft Oriented Aerodynamics, Flight Dynamics, Helicopter Dynamics, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Materials and Structures, Control and Flight Tests. All these topics and their influence on the teaching process at a technical university were considered — what we believe is a specific feature of our Seminars. We notice a mutual influence between contemporary research and education; it is impossible to deliver a modern university lecture without conducting one’s own serious research or design, and it is almost impossible to become a serious, successful researcher or designer without being a graduate of a good, contemporary university. The other specific feature of our Seminars is a student session. An international jury of professors and deans from aerospace faculties all over the world observes the sessions and awarded the best student papers diplomas (sometimes with small prizes contributed by different institutions). We believe that the student sessions promote personal contacts between students and foreign lecturers and encourage students to work harder in the future. For all of us, it is the promise of a new generation of engineers, designers and scientists.

Radio tomographic imaging of sporadic-<i>E</i> layers during SEEK-2

During the SEEK-2 Rocket Campaign in August 2002, a Dual Band Beacon (DBB) transmitting to Ground Receivers provided unique data on E-Region electron densities. Information from two rocket beacons and four ground receivers yielded multiple samples of E-region horizontal and vertical variations. The radio beacon measurements were made at four sites (Uchinoura, Tarumizu, Tanegashima, Takazaki) in Japan for two rockets (S310-31 and S310-32) launched by the Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science (ISAS). Analysis was completed for four sets of beacon data to provide electron density images of sporadic-E layers. Signals from the two-frequency beacons on the SEEK-2 rockets were processed to yield total electron content (TEC) data that was converted into electron density measurements. Wide variations in layer structures were detected. These included horizontal sporadic-E variations, vertical profiles of double, single, and weak layers. The radio beacon measurements were shown to be in agreement with the in-situ SEEK-2 sensors. The first tomographic image of a sporadic-E layer was produced from the data. The rocket beacon technique was shown to be an excellent tool to study sporadic-E layers because absolute TEC accuracy of 0.01 TEC Units can be easily obtained and, with proper receiver placement, electron density images can be produced using computerized ionospheric tomography with better than 1km horizontal and vertical resolution. Keywords. Ionospheric irregularities – Instruments and techniques – Mid-latitude ionosphere

Extract from A Wrack Behind

In 1943, with the world still at war, a great discussion on the future of aeronautical education was held by the Royal Aeronautical Society. Not only would the war years, however many were still to come, demand more well-qualified aeronautical engineers, but the longed for peace years, with engineers turning swords into ploughshares, would want more. The discussion was in two parts. One took place on 25 June and the other on 23 July. Many of the leading figures in British aeronautics took part and in the chair on both occasions was Dr Roxbee Cox, a vice-president of the society. The discussion culminated in a resolution based on a proposal by Marcus Langley. That resolution and the discussion which led to it resulted in the recommendation by the Aeronautical Research Committee that a post-graduate college of aeronautical science should be established. This was followed by governmental action. Sir Stafford Cripps, then the minister responsible for aircraft production, set up a committee presided over by Sir Roy Fedden to make specific proposals, and the committee recommended in its 1944 report that such a college should be a new and independent establishment. In 1945 the government created the College of Aeronautics board of governors under the chairmanship of Air Chief Marshal Sir Edgar Ludlow-Hewitt to bring the college into existence and govern it. The first meeting of this board took place on 28 June 1945 and there were present: Sir Edgar Ludlow Hewitt, Dr W. Abbot, Mr Hugh Burroughs, Sir Roy Fedden, Mr J. Ferguson, Sir Harold Hartley, Sir William Hil-dred, Sir Melvill Jones, Dr E.B. Moullin, Mr J.D. North, Sir Frederick Handley Page, Mr E.F. Relf, Dr H. Roxbee Cox, Air Marshal Sir Ralph Sovley, Rear Admiral S.H. Troubridge and Mr W.E.P. Ward. Sir William Stanier, who had been appointed, was not present.