Students’ project takes off

6 June 2006

A project made by NEWI’s engineering students took to the skies last week when they launched their hot-air balloon for its first flight across the campus.

The final year students are studying the Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering degree course and they made the hot air balloon as part of their final project. The project involved researching, designing and producing the hot air balloon, with the final part testing to see whether it could take off and carry up to 5kgs of weight.

The balloon, measuring 5ft by 3ft, was launched in NEWI’s central quadrangle. A large fan and large bunsen burner flame were used to lift it into the air and, happily for the students, it managed to take-off both loaded and unloaded. In fact, one of the first empty flights nearly ended with the balloon taking off over Wrexham!

The students have been working on the project for about three months. A request for sewing machines to make the balloon was sent to staff at NEWI and all the materials used are second hand, donated by a hot air balloon manufacturer from Oswestry. Andy Marshall from British Aerospace, who is also a part-time lecturer at NEWI, has been involved in the project alongside Eur Ing Joe Tatler of NEWI’s engineering department.