PUTRAJAYA, Two friends took only five hours to make a remote-controlled jet and win the 2023 National RC Jet contest organised as part of the 2023 National Techlympics Finals here today.
SMK Tunku Temenggung fourth formers Aqil Farhan Mohamad Fadli and Muhammad Saiful Izzat, from Kedah, could not contain their delight in winning RM2,500 in cash and a medal each for their jet creation named Skylark Phoenix, beating Kedah’s SMK Kedawang, who take home RM1,200 and a medal each for second place, and third placed Perlis’ SMK Agama Arau, who take home RM900 and a medal each.
“We didn’t expect to win. It’s a surprise. Because there are (jets) that look much better. Maybe because we were short of time, and the foam we used wasn’t cut uniformly so we thought the jet would turn out well,” Aqil Izzat said, adding that it did not dampen their spirits to complete their creation.
The two friends, who named their team Temenggung Skylark, said they were grateful for their mentor, a school lab assistant called Abang Firdaus, who helped show them the ropes in design.
“Abang Firdaus really gave us a lot of templates and examples to create the jet and gave us full support in our interest. We also are grateful for the guidance from our teacher, Siti Nurhanim Abd Halim who also accompanied us today,” Aqil Izzat said as he shared their dreams of inventing things that will make life easier for everyone in the future.
Meanwhile, National Science Centre director Mohammad Fuad Rahman said the competition was one of three signature contests of the centre, with the other two being the Malaysia Combat Robot Doubles contest and the National Thinkering Challenge 2023.
“Our three contests are out of the 44 held in conjunction with the Malaysia Techlympics that began in June,” he said, adding that the first National RC Jet contest was held in 2019 in Langkawi, with 28 teams competing.
"The contest is an innovation competition to spread the culture of science, technology and innovation among students, especially in the field of aeromodelling," he added.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency