Flight Test Discovery

Course Overview

Deep Ocean Discovery is taught by both Christine Braun and Chris Bull. https://www.cresconova.org/cresconova-labs-london-space-/about-us/our-team

This camp can be either a full week or a daily drop in. Camp dates are August 17-21 and August 24-28. In-person at 47 Redcliffe Gardens in Chelsea. Please plan to bring a packed lunch. Camp drop off begins between 9-10 AM with time in the garden playing. Courses run from 10-12, lunch is 12-1 and last course session is 2-3 with pick up between 3 and 4 pm.

This week-long camp takes flight as its launch pad for discovery, experimentation, and design. Students investigate the principles of aerodynamics — lift, drag, thrust, and gravity — alongside Newton's three laws of motion, and use these insights to design and test flying creations of their own making.

Mornings focus on exploring flight concepts and building prototypes, while afternoons shift to testing, iteration, and refining performance. Every crash is a data point, and every adjustment brings a design closer to flight.

The camp culminates in a series of flight challenges where students launch their creations, demonstrate what they have built, and reflect on their design journey — celebrating both the science they have learned and the engineer they have become.

Student Outcomes

• Investigate the four forces of flight — lift, drag, thrust, and gravity — and explain how each principle influences the design and performance of a flying object
• Explore and apply Newton's three laws of motion — inertia, force and acceleration, and action and reaction — to explain why flying objects behave the way they do in the air
• Design and build original flying prototypes, applying aerodynamic concepts and Newton's laws to make informed decisions about shape, weight, and structure
• Test and iterate on designs through a structured afternoon programme, using observations and results to identify improvements and refine performance
• Develop engineering habits of mind — including resilience, curiosity, and systematic thinking — by treating failure as a feedback tool throughout the design process
• Demonstrate and communicate design decisions in a culminating flight challenge, reflecting on the scientific principles and creative choices that shaped their final creation