RAF100: Origins & Aircraft Design

At the start of the First World War in 1914, people had only been successfully flying aircraft for ten years. Aircraft design was still in its infancy.

The introductory video ‘Early Flight’ shows how the role of aircraft changed as the war progressed.

In the history activity students explore how aerial technology made a difference during the war leading to the formation of the RAF in 1918.

In the STEM activity students build and test a glider to explore one of the challenges facing early aircraft designers: how to keep an aircraft steady in flight. As an extension they can make control surfaces for their glider and explore how these can be used to change the orientation of an aircraft in flight.