Branch Lecture Competition 2025

All are welcome to come and learn from our young professionals. Three speakers will present a 20 minute lecture on their chosen subject followed by a Q&A session.

Wednesday 12th March 2025 6:00pm Doors Open, 6:30 Lectures

University of Southampton, Physics Building(46) Room 2005

Under 30 Category

Beyond the Rotor: Exploring the world of Helicopter Operations

Helicopters hold a unique place in aviation, combining mobility and precision to perform missions no other aircraft can accomplish. This presentation, Beyond the Rotor: Exploring the World of Helicopter Operations, delves into the fascinating capabilities of helicopters, their challenges, and the inspiring stories that highlight their impact on industries and communities.

Under 22 Category

What control strategies can be effectively modelled in Simulink for attitude control of CubeSats, and how do these strategies perform in prototype tests?

This lecture investigates various control algorithms for attitude determination and control systems (ADCS). Attitude control is critical to CubeSat operations as it ensures precise orientation control, which is essential for communication, navigation and imaging. The project comprises two main components: a simulated model implemented in Simulink and MATLAB and a prototype designed for testing and validating the model.

Biplanes & UAV’s; the similar early days of manned & unmanned aerial warfare.

This lecture will look at the development of the roles of aircraft and UAVs over time from before the first World War to the current day. The equivalent jump for UAV development to World War One can be somewhat mirrored over the course of decades, not years. However, we can use the history of manned aircraft development to look at what might be in store for UAV’s.

Open to all under 30

The Solent Branch Lecture Competition provides entrants the opportunity to give a 20-minute presentation on an aerospace topic to a live audience, thus allowing them to gain experience of presenting in a realistic environment. It also provides an avenue for the winning entrants, and runners-up, to enter the main society’s prestigious N E Rowe Lecture competition.

The topic should consist of an original presentation on any aspect of aerospace which is of particular interest to the entrant, or in which the entrant has been personally involved. In the case of a group activity the entrant should clearly define his role in the project or study.

The competition is split into 2 categories:

·1st Group – Age less than 22 years old,

·2nd Group – Age 22 up to less than 30 years old.

Key Dates

30th November 2024 Registration of interest by emailing solent@aerosociety.com

18th December 2024 Submission of 300 - 500 word summary

10th January 2025 Confirmation to successful competitors for the live events

12th March 2025 Under 30s Lectures Presented and

Under 22s Lectures Presented to Live Audience

May 2025 Presentations of Certificates at the Branch AGM

Prizes

First Prize in each age group £250

Runner up in each age group £125