On 3 April, as part of the Germany-wide Girls' Day, a variety of hands-on activities took place at our faculty. The aim of the day of action is to get schoolgirls in particular interested in technical and scientific professions and to give them exciting insights into areas in which women have so far been underrepresented. We also want to increase the proportion of female students at our faculty in the long term - currently only 13.4% on the aerospace engineering degree programme - and send out a clear signal: Aerospace is for everyone - regardless of gender or social background.
In total, we were able to familiarise around 90 schoolgirls with the many facets of aerospace engineering with programmes at six institutes.
At the Institute of Aircraft Design (IFB), the participants learnt through exciting experiments how lift is generated on an aircraft wing and what forces play a role in flight. They learnt how helicopters fly and were impressed by their own explanations as to why models with smaller rotor blades sink to the ground faster than those with larger ones. They used paper to make their own lightweight structures, as used in modern aircraft construction. In the IFB workshop, they were able to experience at first hand how machines for the production of fibre composites work. Finally, the students put their newly acquired knowledge into practice: They built their own model gliders and tested outdoors which configuration and throwing technique their aeroplanes fly best with.
At the Institute of Space Systems (IRS), 28 schoolgirls were given exciting insights into the world of space travel. After a captivating presentation on the benefits and versatility of space travel, they were able to control a space capsule themselves and send their own commands to a satellite. In the workshop, they put their manual skills to the test by making spinning tops out of screws. They then learnt how magnets are used in space travel. They were also able to make small satellites, explore the International Space Station (ISS) in virtual reality and playfully experience the effect of a gyroscopic gyroscope. Particularly impressive: wearing bulky space gloves, they tried to master seemingly simple tasks such as activating a switch or changing a light bulb - a real change of perspective!
At the Institute of Flight Systems (ILS), everything revolved around the computers that are part of an aircraft for 15 female researchers of tomorrow. Firstly, they were all allowed to experience for themselves how to fly an Airbus A320: Within 2 hours, their respect for the aircraft and the work of the pilots grew enormously. The highlight of the day was the construction of a small space shuttle: after soldering and crimping cables, everything was then connected in the correct position. The computer then came into play again for the subsequent programming of the shuttle. At the end, the participants proudly presented their self-built mini space shuttles - symbolising the start of their own journey towards a degree in technology.
The Institute of Aerodynamics and Gas Dynamics (IAG) familiarised the schoolgirls with the power of the wind. They looked at the flow around various bodies in the wind tunnel. Each participant was then given a plastic car, the shape of which had to be "aerodynamically" adapted after measuring the drag. Using tools such as saws, files and sandpaper, everyone was then able to let their imagination run wild to give their cars a wide variety of shapes. The cars were then measured again in the wind tunnel and the "performance" could be re-evaluated. In the gust wind tunnel, everyone was able to experience the force of the wind on their own bodies and the fluid mechanics were also made a little more tangible in a small water channel and with a soap bubble machine.
At the Institute of Statics and Dynamics (ISD), 15 schoolgirls were able to experiment and experience experiments in mechanics at first hand under the motto ‘On the road with mechanics’. The programme started with a series of illustrative experiments in the mechanics laboratory, in which the basics of statics and dynamics were taught in a fun and practical way. Highlights included experiments with rotating systems, such as a gyroscope and a rotating wheel on a swivel chair, as well as demonstrations on static equilibrium and the movement of double pendulums. The demonstration of the biaxial testing machine, with which real materials can be tested under two-dimensional load, was particularly impressive. The programme concluded with a practical unit on materials science, in which various materials were tested and compared.
All in all, we are very pleased about the great interest and the fantastic response. Girls' Day is an important building block for us in attracting young talent to the aerospace industry. We hope to welcome many of the participants as students at our faculty soon!
