Rolls Royce are launching a competition to design the helmet the pilot will be wearing onboard their all-electric plane ahead of the world-record attempt. The aircraft will be aiming for the record books with a target speed of 300+ miles per hour (MPH).
The Competition
The engineering giant’s ACCEL programme, short for ‘Accelerating the Electrification of Flight’, is part of their target which aims to reach net zero carbon by 2050.
Rolls-Royce will be working with fly2help, a charity that supports their aims to engage with young people and get them thinking about a career in aviation. There will be two categories – one for ages 5 to 11 and one for ages 12 to 18 – and the winners will have their ideas jointly inspire the final design applied to the helmet. The winners will also get the opportunity to see the plane for themselves and meet Rolls-Royce test pilot and Director of Flight Operations Phill O’Dell and the wider engineering team.
Test pilot, Phill O’Dell said: “The Spirit of Innovation aircraft will be one of a kind, so it is only fitting that the helmet I wear should also be unique, reflecting the pioneering nature of the project. I have worked with fly2help for many years to showcase the exciting career options available in aviation, so it made sense to work with them on this competition.”
Charity Manager, fly2help, Sharon Walters said: “We are delighted to be supporting the Rolls-Royce ‘Design a Helmet’ competition. The all-electric world-record attempt is an incredible opportunity to demonstrate the exciting opportunities in aviation which is a key aim of fly2help as we look to encourage children’s future career ambitions.”
Next month the plane is expected to move to Boscombe Down airfield in Wiltshire ahead of the world record attempt.
Due to COVID restrictions the competition to design the helmet will be restricted to only entrants in the UK. Will you be entering? Let us know below!
