7:30pm Saturday 30th May 2009 A TEAM of four Yeovil College students have successfully completed a project to design a way of giving disabled
access to Lynx Helicopters during Naval open days. Working with 702 Naval Air Squadron of RNAS Yeovilton, Laura Kittredge, 19, of Shaftesbury, Andrea Hartland, 17, of Yeovil, Declan Lash, 18, of Yeovil, and Kieron Stephens, 17, of Yeovil spent seven months, including school holidays, designing and testing ideas for accessing the helicopters, which are built by AgustaWestland in Yeovil. The project was part of the Engineering Education Scheme run by the Engineering Development Trust – a charity dedicated to encouraging young people to fulfil their potential through careers in science, engineering and technology. The Yeovil College students worked closely with 702 Naval Air Squadron, attending regular meetings with them to discuss and analyse the scenario. The students also went to a three-day residential workshop at the University of the West of England in Bristol. The team explored a variety of possible solutions, such as hydraulic or electric lifts, and box, sliding and standing ramps. They tested each possibility before coming up with a final design.
To complete the project, the students gave a presentation in Bristol, where they explained their work and unveiled their successful ramp design. They were interviewed by a panel of expert assessors representing the EES, organisers of the event, before receiving certificates of achievement.