Swansea University wins IT Flies UK 2013

Held in Coventry University's Aerospace Laboratory in their new Faculty of Engineering and Computing Building, IT FLIES had maximum entries again this year.

As ever, a real mix of entries ranging from the Avro 1909 Triplane, through to a high altitude passenger aircraft, and the modelling of an A380 - certainly challenging for the test pilots!

This year's entries were flown and assessed by Dave Southwood, and Paul Mulcahy. This was Paul's first year as a flying judge, currently Chief Test Pilot for the UK CAA, Paul served in the RAF, went to ETPS at Boscombe Down, joined the airlines for a few years, and then back to flight test duties in 2001. He has flown some 230+ aircraft types, and was the perfect person to join Dave to fly the entries!

The Winners? Swansea University's team of five students with their aircraft named Max Q. This year Swansea Masters students were set an unusual project. They were to design a model aircraft to the specifications required by the AIAA Design, Build Fly Competition - then they had the task of scaling up this model in order to test it on their engineering flight simulator at Swansea. Max Q handled very well indeed, and even managed to retain the flying characteristics of a model aeroplane!

Official Results:-

First Prize:-

The Harrier Trophy and £800 from Merlin Flight Simulation Group - Swansea University's Max Q team, Matt Kear, David Barden, Maxwell Howitt, Jordan Peake, Siu Chung Perry Chu

Second Prize:-

£200 kindly donated by Meggitt Aircraft Braking Systems Ltd. - Swansea University's Flying Shinai team, Lauren Griffiths, Adam Philo, David Naumann, David Taylor, Luke Wakely and Saeed Alqahtani

Prize for the Best Technical Information:-

£200 kindly donated by IHS - Max Q, Swansea

Prize for the Most Innovative Design:-

copies of John Farley's book, 'A View from the Hover' - Coventry's University's Alex Chan for the modelling of the Avro 1909 Triplane, and Glyndwr University's Joe Watts, for his high altitude passenger aircraft.

Price for the Best New Aircraft Design:-

Flying lessons, kindly donated by AOPA - Manchester University's team of first year students, Andrew Aldridge, Luke Wheadon, Tom Koochitt, and Alexey Gusev

The Royal Aeronautical Society very kindly sponsored two teams with affiliate membership.

Very many thanks for to all our sponsors for IT FLIES UK 2013, Meggit Aircraft Braking Systems, IHS, AOPA and The Royal Aeronautical Society.