Have a paper aeroplane competition with categories for range, design and originality. Look into the physics of flight in birds and planes and look at the early ideas for manned flight from Leonardo da Vinci. See the Science Museum website www.sciencemuseum.org.ukon-lineflightflightleonardo.asp
The Dryden Flight Research Center, a branch of NASA, has excellent early photos and background www.dfrc.nasa.govHistoryHistory_Flightslide0.html
Modern flight throws up a wealth of possibilities to look at: for example, fly by wire and fly by light and the materials used in planes. See for example the 3M Aerospace site, www.3m.comUSauto_marine_aeroaero for an idea of the products developed by this company. Get students to research the aerospace industry using for example plastics in engines www.bpf.co.ukbpfprofilehistory_of_bpf
The Boeing 777 family site gives a good overview
www.boeing.comcommercial777familypfpf_background.html and also looks at display screens.
Concorde has its own website www.britishairways.comconcordeindex.html
which is useful for reseaching speed.
