MERLIN’S AIRCRAFT DESIGN AND HANDLING COMPETITION

Merlin organise an annual, unique Aircraft Design and Handling Competition. Entries are invited from university students either as teams or individuals. The Competition is held in early June each year at different locations, and entry forms and information are available from Marion@merlinsim.com

This is not just an aircraft design exercise – the point of the Competition is that to design an aircraft – it has to be able to fly! Thus all entries are ‘flown’ and assessed on one of Merlin’s Engineering Flight Simulators by experienced Test Pilots.

The Competition is judged in two parts:-

The display of project material and technical information – posters, lap top presentations, models of aircraft etc.

The ‘flying’ and assessment of the aircraft designs in one of Merlin’s simulators by two test pilots.

COMPETITION 2008, WAS HELD ON FRIDAY 13 JUNE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FLIGHT SIMULATION GROUP OF THE ROYAL AERONAUTICAL SOCIETY

First Prize:-

Swansea University
who won £1,000 donated by the RAF Directorate of Recruiting
The Harrier Trophy from Merlin Flight Simulation Group
A year’s membership of the Royal Aeronautical Society

Second Prize:-

The University of Salford
who won £500 donated by Messier Dowty

Third Prize:-

The University of Manchester
who won £300 donated by Goshawk Aerospace

Special Prizes:-

Swansea University won the AOPA price for the best new Aircraft Design

Kingston University won ESDU’s prize of £250 for the entry with the best Technical Information

The University of Salford won the AAU prize of £200 for the Most Innovative Design

The University of Bath won a flight in a Boeing Stearman donated by Touchdown Engineering

The University of Salford won the Todays Pilot prize for the best Individual Entry

Merlin would like to thank the sponsors of Competition 2008, RAF Cranwell, Messier Dowty, Goshawk Aerospace, MBDA, AOPA, ESDU, AAU, Touchdown Engineering, Todays Pilot Magazine, Thales, QinetiQ, and The Empire Test Pilots School, without whom the Event could not have taken place.

Past Competition winners:-