STem Initiatives

Swift Aircraft is a dedicated and committed STEM company and members of the management team are official STEM Ambassadors with STEM Learning UK. The company has links to a number of educational institutions and youth groups, working together to help develop engineers and aviators of the future. 

We run STEM (STEAM) activity sessions at our facility at Scottow (formerly RAF Coltishall). Find out more and apply...

Working with future generations is awe-inspiring, and it’s moments spent with groups of future aviators and engineers soaking in everything GA and the wider industry has to offer, is really what it is all about. 

Please see a selection of the projects we have been involved with below, or visit the news pages for the latest updates.

222 Air Cadet SQUADRON  

Swift Aircraft has a special relationship with 222 Squadron with visits made between each of our HQs.

The Cadets periodically take a step back in time to learn about the history of the Swift Aircraft site, formerly RAF Coltishall, while seeing first-hand the production and development of the brand new Swift prototype, which has the potential to be an elementary training  aircraft of the future.  They meet up with Swift engineers who talked them through the aircraft design and testing process, discussing future career aspirations and seeking advice and guidance.

Swift Aircraft was also delighted to be invited to 222 (Broadlands) Squadron Annual Formal Inspection 2019. It was an excellent evening with a sunlight parade, Drill Squad display and other activities.  Reviewing Officers on parade were Wg Cdr Miller MBE and Sqn Ldr Green MBE. The Cadets all did themselves proud, and everyone was very impressed by the standards displayed.

2F Watford squadron Air training corps

Swift Aircraft was pleased to welcome 13 cadets from 2F WATFORD SQUADRON, Air Training Corps, Herts & Bucks Wing to our HQ in Norwich last week.

After an introduction to Swift Technology Group, the cadets were given a tour of the manufacturing facility and  introduced to the Engineering team where they were able to ask questions and learn about such systems as CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics), FEA (Finite Element Analysis) and CAD (Computer Aided Design). This was followed with a Paper Aeroplane Challenge with prizes awarded for distance and accuracy, and the session concluded with lunch and Q&A session. 

UTCN f1 in schools competition

Four students from the University Technical College Norfolk (UTCN) visited Swift Aircraft to present their F1 in Schools sponsorship proposition. We are pleased to subsequently announce, we will be their Platinum sponsor for the 2020 competition. 

The students were given a tour of the facility and had the opportunity to meet with the engineering team. This was followed by a Paper Aeroplane Challenge with prizes awarded for distance and accuracy, and a working lunch discussing their project in more detail.

UTCN (university TECHNICAL College Norfolk)

Swift Technology Group has forged strong links with UTCN and work closely with staff and students. From attending careers events, helping shape engineering projects, offering work experience and placements to students, providing STEM visits to our aircraft facility and sponsoring teams in international engineering events and competitions. 

F1 in Schools 

Swift Aircraft is involved in the F1 in schools competition - we sponsored a team of sixth form students from Kimbolton school for the 2019 event and have started working with a group of students from UTCN for the 2020 competition. 

The F1 in Schools project is one of the biggest STEM in schools initiatives in the world and it’s been an honor to be part of it. The fact that F1 in schools includes artistic creativity and marketing as a major part of the judging criteria is also a big positive, as TWF Solutions, sister company to Swift Aircraft, forms an important part of the Swift group, and the significance of these disciplines is too often disregarded.
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F1 in Schools is an international STEM competition in which students must design and manufacture a miniature car out of the official F1 Model Block using computer engineering design tools. The cars are powered by CO2 cartridges and attached to a track by a nylon wire.  The teams are judged on the design and speed of the car together with their accompanying portfolio and presentation. The main objective of the competition is to help change the perceptions of science, technology, engineering and maths by creating a fun and exciting learning environment for young people to develop an informed view about careers in these sectors.

Helensburgh scout group

In October 2019, Swift Aircraft attended the 4th Helensburgh Scout Group evening.  Mike McLean gave a short presentation to the Scouts covering the basic principles of flight and a little history about the local area’s involvement with aviation.  RAF Helensburgh was a Sea Plane / Flying Boat base during the 2nd world war.  The Scouts also learned about composite materials like Carbon Fibre and the rapid development of technology and why we need new engineers for the future.
 
Following the presentation, the Scouts had to make their own paper aeroplanes and a lively set of competitions were held.  These were the Distance Challenge, the Accuracy Challenge and finally the Dynamic Challenge where the Scouts had to fly their planes through two moving hula hoops at a range of about 10m!  All three prize cups (mugs actually) were won by members of Cobra Troop, obviously using their snake-like reflexes to full effect.