Students in nine high schools are getting the opportunity to practice real-world aviation design by participating in the Real World Design Challenge. The program, in partnership with Cessna Aircraft, Hewlett Packard and Business Professional Education Group, has student teams use 3-D software to design an aircraft wing that will fly further, carry more weight and use less fuel. The

Students watch a demonstration of the the computer software that will be used during the Real World Design Challenge. (Photo by Susan Arensman)

software also allows the students to test their wing design by flying the planes in different atmospheric conditions.

A kick-off event for the Real World Design Challenge was held on September 30 at North High School. Superintendent Martin Libhart, Ray Girardo, Vice President of Product Development at Cessna Aircraft Company; Roger Tadajewski, Business Educational Partnerships Group, Inc.; John Schwendeman, Hewlett-Packard and Jim Means, Executive Director of Secondary Careers and Technical Education talked to students about how the challenge will benefit them by having this type of design experience before they graduate high school. They encouraged the students to consider engineering as a career.

"We know industries are facing a serious shortage of engineers," said Superintendent Libhart. "The first step to getting kids excited about engineering as a career starts in our classrooms. The Real World Design Challenge is one way for students to see what they're learning being applied in the business world."

"We are excited to be involved and to encourage these students who will be designing our products of the future," said Girardo.

"This program is one more way our technical education programs can meet the needs of the community," said Means.

Student teams from East, Heights, Metro-Boulevard, North, Northeast, Northwest, South, Southeast and West are participating in the Real World Design Challenge. Students involved in Project Lead the Way pre-engineering courses; computer aided drafting; advanced placement physics, science and math and graphic arts will work together in seven-member teams to design and test the wing.

Cessna will provide engineers to be mentors to the students during the competition. They will help the students learn design skills, develop collaboration techniques and make a true connection with the aviation industry.

The winning team of the state competition will advance to the national competition.

Cessna is underwriting the cost to train Kansas high school teachers to use the design software for the Real World Design Challenge. The Pro/ENGINEER 3-D computer aided design software was donated by Parametric Technology Corporation. Hewlett Packard is providing servers to store the students’ work. Business Professional Education Group is managing the contest across 11 states.  Other sponsors include Business Educational Partnerships Group, Inc., The Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. Department of Energy and Build-A-Plane.


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