Exposing children to engineering skills and concepts helps them better understand our interconnected world and encourages their capacity for invention. The curiosity and passion kindled through scientific challenges like these fuels the advances in our industry and helps build companies like ours.

This will be a day focused on the joy and adventure of science.

This year’s Aero Design Challenge explores the aerodynamics of propellers.  The participants will begin with interacting with discovery stations throughout the Museum, including propeller evaluation, wind tunnel testing, flight simulation and more

Participants will then design, build and test a propeller of their own design able to provide sufficient thrust to propel a test vehicle across a designated distance. The aerodynamics-themed engineering design challenge empowers the children to confront a complex design task, study and analyze all aspects of the challenge, reason though tradeoffs and invent their proposed solutions.

About The Hiller Aviation Institute & Museum

The Hiller Aviation Institute & Museum was founded by helicopter pioneer Stanley Hiller Jr. to use aviation as a gateway for people to embrace adventure and innovation while using tools of science to explore how the physical world works and how the dream of flight is made into reality.

The annual Aero Design Challenge is one of the jewels of the Museum’s educational program – an engaging day for children from grades 4-8 which promises to fulfill the very essence of the museum’s mission.

Public Registration Opens October 5. Registration is open school groups and individuals, on a space available basis at no cost.

In appreciation of our engineers and customers, Peaxy is proud to be a sponsor of this event. You’ll also see us at the event as part of the volunteer corps. Many thanks to Hiller Aviation Museum for this special day.

About this photo:
The Hiller-copter, pictured here was the first successful coaxial rotor helicopter to fly in America, the first to use all metal rotor blades and the first helicopter to be built on the west coast. The coaxial rotor system has two sets of rotor blades – one mounted over the other and turning in opposite directions. This unique design was chosen by Mr. Hiller to eliminate the need for an anti-torque tail rotor which can use as much as 10% of the power from the engine. Mr. Hiller felt the added power to the lifting rotors was a better design idea.