Wings of Hope Hosts Fall SOAR Into STEM Session 2: Aircraft Mechanics and Engineering

By Carmelo Turdo

SOAR Into STEM Fall Session 2 was held on Saturday, October 22, in the Wings of Hope World Headquarters hangar at Spirit of St. Louis Airport. This week's theme was Mechanics and Engineering, and the students completed several projects to illustrate the systems approach to aircraft design. The session was led by Wings of Hope Education Coordinator, Robert Powell, with help from volunteer mentors and Wings of Hope staff throughout the day.

The Design Process, as presented by the Chicago Architecture Center, was introduced as a guiding principle for successfully accomplishing the day's objectives. Here Robert Powell explains the steps involved and how they work together: Define the Problem - Collect Information - Brainstorm and Analyze Ideas - Develop Solutions/Build a Model - Present Your Ideas to Others for Feedback - Improve Your Design. This process greatly assisted the students as they applied new scientific concepts and skills, as well as stylistic qualities, to complete the projects shown below.

 

The first activity on the Mechanics and Engineering topic was the installation of an electrical system on a foam aircraft cutout. One objective was to mount a circuit to the aircraft so that two electric motors would run their propellers powered by a battery pack with a switch. Another objective was to add a circuit running navigation lights on the wingtips and tail controlled by a second switch off the same battery pack. The students worked on this project for about 45 minutes before having to break for the next activity. 

The students also constructed standard balsa wood, rubber band-powered aircraft and attached them to a line from a stationary post. The object was to measure the distance flown as a factor of the circuits passing a fixed observation point. Several trials were made, each with a different number of turns to the rubber band powering the aircraft and some with weights attached. This activity illustrates the effects of structure, weight and balance, and propulsion.

Representatives from the St. Louis Community College Boeing Pre-Employment Training Program provided an impressive exhibit and hands-on activity for the students. Items made in the Composites Mechanic course were on display, and the SOAR Into STEM students took turns at the riveting station used in the Sheet Metal Assembly Mechanic course. Over 1,000 graduates of the program have been hired by Boeing, and the need for skilled aircraft assembly workers continues to increase.

The keynote speaker for Session 2 was Karen Brun, a highly accomplished aviator, A&P mechanic, human factors expert, NASA researcher and motivational speaker who was inspired to pursue a career in aerospace after viewing the Apollo 11 moon landing on TV as a child in her native Trinidad and Tobago. She enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, became a maintenance technician for F-4D Phantom fighters and worked her way to becoming an accomplished flight engineer on the C-5 Galaxy cargo aircraft. Along the way, Karen Brun earned academic degrees from the Community College of the Air Force, Thomas Edison State University, Embrey-Riddle Aeronautical University and Florida Institute of Technology. She participated in Project PoSSUM and was a member of NASA's Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) Crew XV at Johnson Space Center in Houston. Her message was clear and inspirational, using these summary statements:

Attitude Is Everything

Show Up

Be prepared to hear NO

Don't compare yourself to anyone else 

Be prepared to be the only person in the room who looks like you

Perserverance...Stick to it.

Karen Brun continues to contribute to advancements in aerospace and encourage others to vigorously pursue their life goals. Her participation in youth programs, such as SOAR Into STEM, will contribute greatly to the future success of the aerospace industry. Here we feature some views of her presentation.