BLOODHOUND educaton delivery drector, Dawn Fitt attended the National Final of the BLOODHOUND SSC Junior Engineer for Britain K’Nex Challenge , which took place at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford recently. Dawn was invited to judge the entries. Not an easy task due to the outstanding ideas of the primary pupils! The level of concentration and dedication to the task was amazing, so much so that a number of entries were whisked away after the event to provide additional ideas for Annie Berrisford and the BLOODHOUND engineering team.

The theme of this year’s final was to design handling equipment that could turn BLOODHOUND SSC (Supersonic Car) round after its first record-breaking speed attempt. Each of the 19 teams of two pupils reached the final having won through three previous rounds of the competition. Approximately 45,000 primary school pupils from across the UK entered round 1 of the BLOODHOUND SSC engineering challenge at the beginning of the year.

Eventual winners were Mark McCormick (11) and Nathan Morell (11) from Keldmarsh Primary School, East Yorkshire (picture top) with James Eaton (11) and William Leah (11) from Lindhead Primary School, Scarborough in second place (left) and  Niamh Martin (11) and Matthew McClathey from Whitehouse Primary School, Newtonabbey, Northern Ireland in third (below right).
 
Throughout the competition students were challenged to design and build solutions, using K’NEX construction kits to demonstrate how they would solve some of the many issues involved in BLOODHOUND SSC ‘s upcoming world speed record-breaking attempt.  At the final they were invited to devise a solution for a rapid turn-around of the vehicle at the end of its first speed run.  Before starting, the teams, teachers and parents had the opportunity to view the many exhibits and to see some of the many amazing aircraft and their support vehicles that are on show at the Duxford museum.