Speech by Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean at the Award Presentation Ceremony of the Singapore Amazing Flying Machine Competition (SAFMC)

Principals and School Representatives,Students,Ladies and Gentlemen,Good Afternoon.

Introduction

Man has been fascinated with flight since the earliest of time. In the 15th century, Leonardo da Vinci observed birds, bats and insects, and designed his flying machines to imitate their structure and motion. Over 100 years ago, in 1903, the Wright brothers invented and built the world's first successful airplane that achieved controlled, powered and sustained flight. Although the flight lasted for a mere 12 seconds and achieved a top speed of only 11 km/hr, Man was finally able to fly. It opened up the era of aviation. Today, flying is commonplace. Hundreds fly routinely in aircraft that are as big as buildings. But the dream of pushing the limits of manned flight - to fly faster, higher and longer - continues to have particular attraction for Man.

The Age of Unmanned AircraftBut it was not long after the first manned flight by Orville Wright that designers started taking pilots off the aircraft. The first unmanned flying aircraft made its debut in World War I. And the challenge to build unmanned aircraft that can do more while flying faster, farther and freer from human intervention, has attracted many creative and ingenious minds. In 2008, the UK defence research agency, QinetiQ, built a solar-powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, or UAV, that flew nonstop for more than 3 days - 82 hours 27 minutes to be exact - at an altitude higher than 60,000 ft. Today DARPA, or the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency, is planning to build a solar-electric UAV that will remain aloft for more than 5 years!Like Leonardo da Vinci, designers today are looking back to nature to build better flying machines. In 2008, the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands developed the smallest ornithopter fitted with a camera. Modelled after the dragonfly and called the DelFly Micro, this flying wonder measures just 10 cm across and weighs a mere 3 grams. Although it flew for just 3 minutes with a maximum speed of 5 metres per second, this is just the beginning of a new class of flying machine - the micro air vehicle. There is no telling what this DelFly Micro will lead to in the future.

In Singapore, DSO National Laboratories has been steadily building up indigenous capabilities in this area over the years, with its unique suite of UAVs. In partnership with the Nanyang Technological University, DSO is building a small flapping-wing UAV. DSO has also collaborated with ST Aerospace to develop the Skyblade class of UAVs that is capable of performing tactical surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

SAFMC

From the time of the Wright Brothers to the first flight to the moon, the development of flying machines epitomises the human spirit of creativity and innovation. I am thus delighted that DSO and the Science Centre have organised the Singapore Amazing Flying Machine Competition. This is an excellent platform to unleash the creativity of Singaporeans, through the wonders of flight and pushing the boundaries for flying machines.

Interesting Participant Profile

Who knows what flying wonders our own Leonardo da Vincis will come up with. I am very heartened that this inaugural competition has attracted 200 teams of all ages from across the island. The participants range from 9 years old, to the young at heart of 62 years! There are also several family teams, with fathers, sons and daughters coming together to brainstorm and create their flying wonders. It is also very exciting to know that several primary and secondary schools have chosen to compete in higher categories.

The Learning Journey

To prepare the participants for this competition, the organisers put together a series of training workshops and seminars that demonstrated the finer points of aerodynamics and aircraft design. This holistic approach to provide a learning journey for all the participants makes this event more than just a competition. I hope all of you have found the experience enriching and fun, especially the anticipation and excitement of seeing your creations take off.

Conclusion

Man has always reached for the skies. Today, in your small way, you are also helping Singapore take a step in reaching for the skies with your flying wonders. My heartiest congratulations to all participants and to this year's winners. Thank you.