Bigger and Better
A giant tea cup, a mighty towel bowl, and a flying jellyfish - yes, these were amongst the many innovative flying machines that took to the skies at the Singapore Amazing Flying Machine Competition (SAFMC) 2009.
Soaring into its second year, SAFMC 2010 was equally fascinating, as many awe-inspiring flying machines took to the skies. Imagine unusual spaceships and even a flying Thomas the Train! Equally impresive, was the bright and cheerful Spongebob that was truly an unforgettable sight.
Photo caption: DPM engaged in a discussion with one of SAFMC's award-winning participants
Graced by Guest-of-Honour, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Mr Teo Chee Hean, the Award Presentation Ceremony saw a roaring turnout with winning teams and supporters mesmerised by captivating flight demonstrations performed by many of the winning teams.
Noteworthy Quotes from the Speeches
"The primary objective of the SAFMC goes beyond fostering a sense of imagination and innovation. It seeks to inculcate in participants a daring can-do attitude, a drive to out-perform ourselves and a desire to succeed at whatever we are doing. These qualities are vital in the world of science and technology, where frustration and disappointment are as much a part of the process as the joy of discovery."
- Mr Teo Chee Hean, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence
"SAFMC is thus not just about designing and building a flying machine from scratch. It is about the incessant flow of new creative ideas, the fascinating showcase of innovation, and the touching display of passion and pride the teams have in their creations. Some of the qualities that the judges look for in the machines are endurance and passion - qualities which the participants will learn, better understand and acquire during their journey in this competition."
- Associate Professor Lim Tit Meng, Chief Executive, Science Centre Singapore
Interesting Facts & Figures
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SAFMC 2010 saw a 40% increase in participation. From 200 teams in 2009, there were close to 300 teams this year.
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There were 10 repeat teams this year. Two repeat teams even walked away with Championship Awards!
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SAFMC 2009 had 4 primary school teams competing in a secondary school category. This year, that number ramped up to 10 teams competing with the big boys! One team from Woodlands Primary even won the best award for the Endurance challenge!
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The biggest number of teams came from Unity Primary School with 17 teams. Taking part for the first time, Rosyth Primary School sent in 12 teams. The schools won four and two awards respectively. Good effort!
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Singapore American School and the Global Indian International School were the two international schools that sent in one team each.
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The world's record for a paper plane's longest flight time is 26.1 seconds. The Champions (Category A) of SAFMC 2010 managed an average of 8.91 seconds.
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The best Acrobatic paper plane came from Catholic High School. Their plane managed to fly slightly more than 3 times around a pole.
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The winner of the range challenge went to Temasek Secondary, whose unpowered glider managed to fly almost 25 metres.
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SAFMC also wowed the public with its exciting fringe activities. Over 50 teams signed up for the Water Rocket Challenge, while the Paper Plane Challenge saw more than 130 flying enthusiasts taking part!
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More than 130 awards were given out during SAFMC 2010!
They Say!
An interview with the people behind the successful SAFMC 2010
Dr Chew Siou Chye, Chairman of the Technical Committee and Laboratory Head in the Guided Systems Division of DSO National Laboratories
What is your main responsibility as Chair of the Technical Committee?
My main responsibility is to determine and execute the rules and regulations for both the presentation and flying aspects of this competition.
Is this your first full involvement in SAFMC? Do share your thoughts!
It was a hectic and tiring two weeks, but enjoyable in retrospect. I would definitely have fond memories of SAFMC 2010.
Share with us incidents during the SAFMC that left you with a deep impression.
The enthusiasm of the participants, from primary school kids to adults, left me a deep impression indeed. The commitment shown by the teachers in ensuring their students were well prepared for the competition is commendable. And not forgetting to mention, the many happy faces during the award ceremony!
Tan Soo Kee, Co-chairman of the Organising Committee and Deputy Director of the People Division in DSO
Why is DSO organising the SAFMC?
DSO is Singapore's National Defence R&D Organisation. As a national laboratory, DSO has a commitment to inspire and nurture future generation's interest in science and technology.
By partnering with Science Centre and industry partners to organise the SAFMC, we are able to create a unique platform to encourage students to become the nation's future technologists.
With the challenge of having to research, design and build their dream flying machine, these students are encouraged to think out-of-the-box and develop strategic thinking. It is about letting the imagination take flight, and the SAFMC is a great and fun way to do so.
What has SAFMC succeeded in achieving so far?
A successful competition must be able to engage the passion of its participants. And it is not just about winning, but learning from their experience.
Judging from the many interesting flying innovations this year, we can really see the dedication that the teams have put in. How they combine art and science to design and build a flying machine, and you know they are inventing and learning from it.
Quotes from the Winners
Category A
"Our school motto is 'Do the best and be the best' and we try to live up to it!" - The Flying Brothers from Yishun Primary School
Category B
"Our design is unique due to its large size and the use of materials which is aerofoil." - Gliders from Si Ling Secondary School
Category C
"We even designed our own t-shirts for this competition!" - Factor X from Temasek Secondary School
Category D
"We used a unique quad-rotor design, which is semi-autonomous. In layman terms, this is a hybrid of a helicopter and a plane. We worked on this for one and a half years!" - Black Aces from Republic Polytechnic
Category E
"We did it!" - Flight Vortices
To find out more about the SAFMC 2010, click on the following links to view the media release and news coverage:
Media Release:
For more pictures of the SAFMC winners, visit: www.safmc.com.sg
To read about SAFMC 2009, click here. |