6 IN FOCUS Kansas, we achieved our goal – a place in the top out of teams from all over the world. Such success was not only based on knowledge but our team’s persistence and never-say-never spirit. My AIAA experience showed me the impact of determination and hard work on a project’s outcome as well as made me more competent and skillful as an engineer, attributes I am now applying as a eld engineer trainee for Schindler Li s (HK). Our team’s joint commitment also built a strong bond among members – the greatest prize of all in joining the competition. grew up in Hong Kong and studied at a girls’ school, and many people have asked me how I developed my interest in engineering. Here I must acknowledge – and thank – my school science teachers for the very large part they played in making science interesting and building my foundation for future learning. I was further inspired by the Discovery Channel television show, How It’s Made, which looks at how items in daily life are manufactured and shows why engineering is so fascinating and life-changing. My major at HKUST was Mechanical Engineering, with a minor in Aeronautical Engineering. Joining the AIAA Design/Build/Fly Competition, held in the US, formed part of my nal year project. This year’s contest required teams to design and build two radio-controlled aircra – a manufacturing support aircra and production aircra – that could complete a number of tasks. In our team, I was mainly in charge of building the production aircra . In preparing for the competition, we had to build several generations of planes to test di erent possibilities and maximize performance. Some crashed during test flights. Some were unable to even take o . But through patience and resilience, we coped with such setbacks. A er every test flight, we investigated the reasons for failure by revisiting the aircra ’s structure and design and reviewing the test flight video to make modi cations to the next generation. Even though the going was tough, we always had the enthusiastic support of supervisor Prof Larry Li, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and our hard work and perseverance paid o . When it came to the actual competition in Wichita, I Ms & Mr Young Engineers Learning at the School of Engineering involves much more than attending lectures. Here, three students recount their testing and fulfilling experiences in hands-on engineering design competitions Michelle Long Yan Shum BEng, Mechanical Engineering ( ) AIAA Design/Build/Fly Competition , Kansas, US Michelle (second le ) at the AIAA Design/Build/Fly Competition with her teammates.
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