Make something that flies.
Then prove something with it.
Two programs, one philosophy: kids learn hardest when the thing is real. Build an aircraft with your own hands, then turn it into a science-fair project a judge can't put down — mentored by a Ph.D. engineer who has judged the county fair three times.
Print it. Build it. Fly it.
Six sessions, one aircraft
- Design & print (sessions 1--2): CAD basics, why frames look the way they do, and 3D-printing the airframe — students keep every part they print.
- Build & wire (sessions 3--4): motors, ESCs, flight controller, propellers; soldering taught from zero; every step explained by the physics, not just the manual.
- Tune & fly (sessions 5--6): bench tests, safety checks the way real pilots do them, then first flight on an open field — plus the FAA TRUST certificate every recreational flyer needs, completed together in class.
- Take home: the drone they built, the CAD files, a build log — and a finished project that can seed a science-fair entry (see the gallery below).
Small cohorts (max 4 students) so every kid builds their own aircraft, not a share of one. Ages 11+.
Ask about the next cohortEight projects a kid can actually run
Every project below is real science at student scale: a question, a measurable experiment, and a result worth defending. Difficulty tags are honest. Pick one that makes your kid's eyes light up — or bring your own idea to the free consultation.
How far can Wi-Fi really see?
"Does my drone's signal die with distance, walls, or trees?"
Map received signal strength versus distance and obstacles with a phone and a router; discover the inverse-square law by measuring it, then test whether rain gutters or foil reflect it.
The propeller bake-off
"Which blade shape lifts the most for the least battery?"
3D-print three propeller designs, build a kitchen-scale thrust stand, and measure grams of lift per watt. Real engineering trade-offs, visible on a bar chart.
Where does the school lose heat?
"Can a drone find the leakiest window on campus?"
Thermal-camera survey of a building envelope (flown with our licensed pilot), calibrated against indoor readings — an energy audit with a real recommendation at the end.
The lost-hiker beacon problem
"How weak can a radio signal be and still be found?"
Simulate received-signal-strength localization in Python: place a virtual beacon, add noise, and test how estimation error grows with distance — the same math behind our published search-and-rescue research, at student scale.
Wind vs. battery
"How much flight time does a headwind steal?"
Log battery drain across repeated measured flight legs on calm and windy days; model energy per meter versus wind speed and predict — then verify — the break-even hover.
One drone, a hundred sensors
"What's the best route to keep everyone's data fresh?"
A simulation study of patrol routes for a delivery drone visiting sensors — greedy versus planned tours, measured by how stale the data gets. A gentle door into real optimization research.
Who's flying over my house?
"Can I detect and chart the drones in my neighborhood?"
Receive public Remote ID broadcasts with a phone app, chart traffic patterns over a month, and present what the data says about local drone use — measurement meets civics.
Crash-test airframes
"Which print settings survive a fall?"
Print frame arms at different infills and orientations, break them on a repeatable drop rig, and chart strength against weight and print time — materials science with satisfying crunches.