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First-year students in Kent State’s College of Aeronautics and Engineering were challenged to engineer and build propeller-driven aircraft suspended by helium balloons as part of the college’s “Lighter Than Air” competition.

This project is a capstone in the Introduction to Engineering class. Student teams must successfully design, build and fly an aircraft that adheres to a specified budget. Teams collaborate on a preliminary design before giving a presentation of their work. After completing this presentation, teams build their aircraft using balsa wood, propellers and electronics such as servos, motors and electronic speed controllers.

After successfully constructing their aircraft, teams flew their creations using remote controls and a large helium balloon. The aircrafts had to successfully complete an obstacle course in the Henry and Louise Timken Atrium in the college’s new building addition on the Kent Campus.

Introduction to Engineering covers engineering basics such as technical writing, problem solving and engineering standards. Students in majors including aerospace engineering, mechatronics engineering and aeronautical systems engineering technology take this course early in their academic careers.

This creative competition is an exceptional hands-on learning opportunity that showcases creativity, problem-solving and practical engineering prowess. It's also an exercise in teamwork, three-dimensional thinking, budgeting and analytical skills for the next generation of engineers.