Quick thinking and great team working lead to the Burnham Grammar School team at the Rotary Club Technology Tournament being crowned the winners.

The competition which took place at John Hampden Grammar School on November 2 saw our three groups take on the challenge of creating a space launcher which could launch a plastic ball with a parachute three metre in the air and through a hoop.

There were limited materials to be able to create the launcher, as well as just four hours from the start for it to be completed and ready to launch.

Alongside the making of the launcher a portfolio had to be created to show the parachute and launcher designs along with the analysis for them. They had to include detailed annotations to show the judges what our ideas were. The portfolio had to be handed in by 12 o’clock to give the judges time to look over them.

The team began the construction of the launcher at 10.30am, starting with the initial structure of it, including cardboard triangles for support and wooden dowels for height. Hot glue was used as the main adhesive, which was readily available and quick drying – very helpful bearing in mind the time restriction.

When the team was half way through the four hour building time, they began our launching mechanism. It consisted of metal eye screws, a right angled screw, 12 elastic bands, a plastic pot and a piece of string.  Four of the metal eye screws were put into the top of each of the four wooden dowels; three elastic bands were then attached to each one and then attached that to the plastic pot. One metal eye screw was put in the bottom of the pot so it could hook onto the right angled screw which was screwed into the base. The plastic ball had a small plastic bag as our parachute which was attached to the ball with and elastic band.

After we had built our launcher the team were able to give it a test run, which enabled them to see that some adaptations had to be made in order to let the ball be launch straight up.  After this it was judging time. Showing it to the judges, it worked a lot better than the team had expected, with the ball almost touching the ceiling. The team were surprised to hear that they had won, and were given a £25 book token as well as a plate for the school to display in the award cabinet.

Mrs Garner, head of art and design and technology, said: “We are grateful to the Rotary Club (of High Wycombe) for hosting the competition congratulations to all the other teams who competed. We wish to enter this competition again if we have the opportunity, if not we wish luck to all the teams that will participate in the future.”