BASIS Aerospace club
Advanced High School Aeronautics Curriculum
Our students learn a host of skills that foster a better and deeper understanding of what it means to be an Aerospace Engineer. These skills include learning how to pilot remote control aircraft, the mechanics and theoretical behind flying machines, and how to utilize these skills to design and construct remote control aircraft in a team-based environment.
The Course
Our advanced aeronautics course teaches students about flight mechanics, manufacturing methods, and a host of other topics that take a deep dive into specifically fixed-wing aircraft design. This covers topics such aerodynamic pressure forces, flight stability, airfoil design, and many other in depth topics. If you would like more information on our advanced high-school level aerodynamics course, please email: theaerodragons@gmail.com
The Challenge
Once gaining in-depth knowledge on the flight mechanics of remote controlled aircraft, students separate into long-term teams where they choose one of the following plane design challenges: cargo, maneuverability, speed, or duration. Throughout the school year, students will struggle through the hardships of engineering-that of which oftentimes means failure-to learn how to bring their ideas to reality by applying their new knowledge about the theories of aeronautical design.
Failing Successfully
IMG_0372.MOVFailing
Our students learn how to fail. To simply put it, maidening a remote control aircraft is like training an unknown beast. You can only predict and theorize so much about how a plane will fly or will respond to certain actions. These student learn the process of aerospace engineering early on through trial and error used in engineering practices throughout the world and the feeling of success when their plane is successfully tuned and functioning.
IMG_0374.MOVSuccessfully
Failing on its own is bad. However, failing successfully means that you can learn from your errors, miscalculations, and wrong predictions to better your goals. In the case of these young plane designers, they learn how to rapidly improve their models and achieve a better flight every launch. Taken into a broader context, the students knowledge of the benefits of rapid constructive failure will allow them to be successful in any STEM or liberal arts career they pursue.
Engineering Community Engagement
We were able to visit the Southwest Research Institute here in San Antonio on January 25th. We went on a guided tour of multiple research facilities, such as the robotics development department, Texas's biggest gun (used for studying energy and kinematic motion), the fuel and resource department, and the carbon and hydrogen chambers where particle motion is studied.
The Pioneer Flight Museum is a museum that is within a WW1 restored aircraft hangar and hosts a variety of restored full-scale operational antique aircraft dating back to 1909 such as their 1909 Blériot XI and their 1910 ASL Valkyrie. Our tour guide, Carey Bratusek, gave us a fruitful tour detailing the different plane designs, the history behind them, and even early automotive engineering. From this, we can learn about early flight mechanics, materials engineering in a time when manufacturing methods and materials were limited, and apply it to our upcoming plane designs and future STEM carreers!
In coordination with the Tri-city Flyers Club, we have visited the Old Kingsbury Aerodrome and flown numerous plane designs for fun and practice. We have flown many types of planes and we have visited their museums. We've gotten a mentor who helped us learn how to fly remote controlled planes effectively, and gave us a lot of advice from his experience.
Keynote Speaker -Astronautical Systems
Mr. Smith is a astronautics design engineer who works on satellite and related technologies. We had the pleasure to have him give a presentation to our entire aerospace club about the research that goes in the Southwest Research Institute, specifically that relating to astronautical applications. We learned about satellite research in regards to advances made in hurricane detection by CYGNSS global and how SWRI has contributed to the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory future Europa Clipper which plans to fly by Europa, a moon around Jupiter, to detect for presence of life by analyzing waterjets that come off of the moon.
Meet This Year's Teams
Team 1 (speed challenge):
Team 2 (agility/3D challenge):
Team 3 (cargo/heavy Lift challenge):
Team 4 (speed challenge):
Interested in implementing a similar aerospace club in your community or school or starting an aerospace club chapter in your school? Are you interested in doing out reach events with our aerospace club? - We have something just for you! Fill out the following interest form so we can get back with an idea of what it would take to help bring our aerospace club curriculum into your area. The authentic aerospace engineering experience is our #1 priority!