Merlin Flight Simulation Group logo and photograph

'IT FLIES' 2010 RESULTS

First Prize:-

Coventry University's Phillip Keane, who won £1,000 from Merlin Flight Simulation Group
The Harrier Trophy
A year's complimentary membership of the R.AeS

Second Prize:-

The team from Swansea University, who won £500 kindly donated by The R.AeS Flight Simulation Group

Third Prize:-

Coventry University's Taavi Anderson, who won £250 kindly donated by MBDA

Fourth Prize:-

Was tied between Glyndwr and Manchester Universities
Who each won £150 kindly donated by The R.AeS Flight Simulation Group

Special Prizes:-

Swansea University won the AOPA prize for the best new aircraft design

Bristol University won the IHS prize for the best technical information, the AAU prize for the most innovative design, and also the prize for the best entry in the Presentation section - kindly donated by Messier Dowty.

Each entry received a copy of John Farley's book 'A View from the Hover'

Our grateful thanks to our sponsors for Competition 2010, without whom the Event could not have taken place, Messier Dowty, MBDA, IHS, AOPA, AAU, and The Royal Aeronautical Society.

We are also so grateful to John Farley, ex Harrier Chief Test Pilot for his excellent commentary again this year, and for the ten years that he has been involved with this Competition.

This year we had a new test pilot join Dave Southwood in flying and assessing the aircraft designs - Dave Mackay, Virgin Galactic's test pilot. For the record both Dave's come from a similar background - aeronautical engineering degrees, RAF trained, both have taught at the Empire Test Pilots School, Boscombe Down, and both are historic aircraft display pilots. In other words, the variety of aircraft types that they have flown is enormous!

2010 was a different year in that we only had entries from two teams, Swansea, with ten students, and Bristol, with two. Every other entry was an individual - something we have not experienced before.

The two entries which really stood out were the winner - Phillip Keane from Coventry with his DH98 DeHavilland Mosquito model, and the Swansea team's blended wing business jet. Both were stable enough for the test pilots to fly approaches with an engine out and a cross wind!

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photograph - Three men

Phillip Keane (centre) the winner, from Coventry University, with John Farley (left) and Chris Neal (right)

photograph - Three men and flight simulator

The three test pilots, Dave Southwood from ETPS, Dave Mackay from Virgin Galactic and John Farley ex Harrier Chief Test Pilot

Photographs courtesy Coventry University

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