Hovercraft girls fly solo

NRegan

Last updated 00:00, Friday, 26 January 2007

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SCHOOLGIRLS from across West Cumbria had the chance to prove that boys aren’t the only ones who can be engineers when they built their own hovercraft this week.

Southfield Technology College in Workington was transformed into workshops, test-tracks and runways for pupils.

Teenagers split into teams of six or seven at the Girls into Aerospace event and used foam board, polythene skirting and an electric motor to build hovercrafts before racing them through the halls.

The event was run by the universities of Manchester and Bradford and funded by Aimhigher Cumbria.

The university team was in Workington on Tuesday, and worked with girls from Stainburn School and St Joseph’s School, both Workington, Beacon Hill in Aspatria, St Benedict’s in Whitehaven and Whitehaven School and Wyndham School in Egremont.

Alan Parlane, of the University of Manchester, said the girls would benefit from working with pupils from other schools while learning about engineering.

“The aim of this project is to enliven science and engineering and enthuse the next generation of aerospace engineers.

“We want to encourage young people to have confidence in their ability to take on a career in engineering and this event is designed to help them get that confidence.

“There are no boys here telling them how to do it. They do all the problem-solving, testing and flying of the hovercraft themselves.”