Today we visited InHolland University at their Delft campus that focuses on aeronautical engineering. We were given a lecture explaining the goals and initiatives of the school. I was very impressed by their emphasis on learning by doing, which was eminent in their yearly projects where students were able to physically build and showcase a design that solved a current issue in their field. This is very different compared to Pitt’s engineering program as we take a lot of core courses and then only really apply it to a full design and production scale for our senior project. I think that the way InHolland does early stages of production with their students would be helpful to implement in our studies because it gives students the opportunity to use apply their skillset to solve real issues in ways that will be reflected in their future work as engineers. InHolland students get to apply the knowledge they learned throughout the school year to a project that interests them, which I found extremely valuable.

A faculty member of the school then explained to us the parts of the plane and the history behind planes including what caused them to develop. Throughout the slideshow, it was apparent that after the Wright Brothers had invented the first successful plane, societal needs drove the development of planes. We were clearly able to see how concept to costumer is applied in the plane production industry. For example, during World War 1, cargo planes were needed to be able to ship machinery and weapons to soldiers across the country. For this a large and lightweight plane would be needed that was also able to get there fast enough that the soldiers had not been killed. In World War 2, planes that were able to carry and drop bombs were needed to be produced in mass volumes and in a way that we had an advantage over the opposition. But at the same time, smaller and faster fighter jets were also needed to be able to attack enemies in more effective ways.

After the wars ended, we saw a shift from military jets to a more commercialized market that consisted of large planes that could hold potentially hundreds of passengers. This forced the need for a more powerful engine and lighter material so that it could still float with the weight of all the people. We are currently in an age where more sustainable processes are sought after in the plane production. The increased effort to transition to electrical and hydrogen powered planes aligns with societies push to become more sustainable and decrease the effects of climate change.

We then did a competition to see which groups could build the best plane out of styrofoam, tape, paperclips, and washers. It was cool working in a team and strategizing which approach would make for the best design. Our group ended up coming in third place after breaking our wing in half, so I was very proud of the outcome. After leaving InHolland, Frank and Dr. Bursic so kindly treated us to “freakshakes,” where we were all able to celebrate my birthday! It was a delicious mountain of sugary treats on top of a caramel-vanilla milkshake. Yet somehow we still managed to eat dinner right after! We also went on a canal tour around Delft where we immersed ourselves in the history and charm of the small town. See you tomorrow Rotterdam!