Aerospace Engineering

Design and build planes and rockets.

Learn Newton’s First Law and build paper helicopters. Like the Wright brothers, build a wind tunnel and test airfoils. Build gliders and a model propeller plane.

Learn Newton’s Third Law and design a jet engine. Design and build a rocket. Learn about the International Space Station. Build a model solar sail.

Students participate in engineering challenges, problem solving, and exploration of how aircraft and spacecraft are designed. A combination of traditional lessons and project-based exploration guides students throughout the session, encouraging curiosity, creativity, and iterative thinking. A logical sequence of activities helps students connect key physics ideas to real aerospace systems.

Throughout the course, students investigate how forces like lift, thrust, drag, and gravity shape flight and learn how engineers refine ideas through testing and iteration. Students experiment with simple rocketry, build a functioning wind tunnel, and use computer-assisted design tools to create their own jet concepts. They also explore satellites, space missions, and current aerospace innovations. Fairfax Collegiate provides all necessary materials, and students collaborate in pairs or small groups for many activities.

At the end of the course, instructors upload a collection of photos and videos showcasing student work for families to access. Students leave with a stronger understanding of aerospace engineering and the confidence to tackle more advanced engineering, physics, or design projects.