SynTrac was visited by a very special group of young researchers in March 2024. A group of kindergarten children from the element-i Kinderhaus “Steppkes” in Vaihingen arrived at the Institute of Aerospace Thermodynamics (ITLR) at the University of Stuttgart full of anticipation to learn more about the world of aviation. The element-i Kinderhaus is certified by the Little Scientists foundation and actively promotes interest in STEM subjects.

After a warm welcome from Kathrin Schulte, who heads up the C02 project’s research as well as the PR project, the day began with an exciting exchange about flying. The children talked enthusiastically about their experiences with airplanes while she explained how planes take off and why flying is so important for us. At the same time, the children’s curiosity was aroused as to what research at a university means and what role research networks such as SynTrac play in gaining exciting new insights.

Then it got practical: the children enjoyed making their own gliders. With creative ideas and enthusiasm, an exciting long-flight competition was then held in which the self-built gliders flew through the ITLR.

In order to understand how the large passenger planes take off and stay in the air compared to the gliders, Dr. Schulte explained various physical processes, which are also the subject of research at SynTrac, in a child-friendly way. The children were particularly fascinated by the pictures taken with the thermal imaging camera, which produce different colorful images depending on the temperature. The children were shown how to measure temperatures and why this is important in research into flying.

A central aspect is, of course, the question of how airplanes are powered. The concept of motors and engines was explained using a rubber motor model and the children were allowed to try out for themselves how to make a model fly.
Finally, there was a special highlight! At the Institute of Aircraft Propulsion Systems (ILA) at the University of Stuttgart, the children were able to experience a real aircraft engine up close and personal – a wonderful end to an unforgettable excursion into the world of aerospace research!