It’s Plane Brilliant!
School of Engineering
From left: Bao Zheli, Neo Ming Jing, Muhammad Hariz Roslan and Zafri Kusaini
Our Engineering students have done it. They have built Singapore’s first fully-functional aircraft!
It took 34 students from the diplomas in Aerospace Systems & Management and Aeronautical and Aerospace Technology four years to complete this masterpiece. And they did everything – from conceptualisation and documentation to construction.
The 6.7m long STOL CH750 aircraft has a fully functional engine, sophisticated electronics, a glass cockpit, two seats for a pilot and a passenger, and even luggage space. It can fly up to 710km, the equivalent of a round trip between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
Said Lim Poh Ghee, SEG’s Senior Lecturer who supervised this project: “Learning comes alive when the students are involved in such hands-on experiential learning. They get to apply what they learn in the classroom to the actual building of a plane. The students also learnt about the roles of aerospace personnel, from hands-on engineering to maintenance. This is a fantastic achievement that shows just how capable our students are. We are so proud of them”.
The aircraft will now be used as a teaching tool to train subsequent batches of our SEG students. It’s a plane built by students for students!
We spoke with Muhammed Hariz Roslan and Bao Zheli, final year students from the CH750 project team to find out what it takes to build a plane.
Building a plane from scratch is a great accomplishment! Share with us how this project had developed the skills and knowledge you’ve acquired in your course of study.
Hariz: I expected the project to be challenging – and it was. It tested my knowledge and skills and stretched my ability to work in a team. I also learnt to be meticulous in handling the documentations. In addition, it wasn’t easy to visualise the physical parts from the initial drawings. It took a lot of precision and patience to ensure the measurements were accurate.
Zheli: The project taught me about the importance of “task card” in our industry. The task card records all the tasks that we perform This recording is important in the event that we need to review the process and identify the errors.
This great task must have called for loads of coordination and teamwork.
How has this experience impacted you as a person and as a team?
Hariz: The experience I gained has changed me as a person. It made me more disciplined and taught me that it's not always good to work alone, as being able to work in a team can do wonders.
Zheli: I learnt that teamwork makes the dream work. No task is too tough if the team have the same end goal in mind.
Any words of advice for the juniors out there?
Hariz: You may think building a plane is a crazy idea but when you're passionate about something, it doesn't just have to be an aircraft. Just go for it.
Zheli: Everything looks tough before you get started, but once you get started and have gotten use to the routine, you can go far. You need lots of passion too 😊
Finally, what is your proudest memories / takeaway from NYP?
Hariz: I’m proud to be have be a part of the project, and glad that I am part of the NYP family. I can’t wait to bring all that I’ve learnt at NYP to kickstart my undergraduate studies at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2019!
Zheli: My proudest moment in NYP was when I was awarded with the top student. The semester before was hectic and I was unsure how I have fared. So I was really happy and excited to receive the award.
Interested in realising your dreams in the aviation industry?Explore your passion like Hariz and Zheli and achieve your dreams at NYP.
#Becausewecan