HELICOPTERS 1944 PRESENTATION

SUMMARY:

The goal of this assignment was to research helicopter models in history, analyze the influence of advancements of technology and innovation in the creation of the specific helicopter model we were assigned, the motivation for the creation of that specific helicopter model, and how the technological advancement that resulted from the creation of the helicopter influences the field of aerospace engineering to this day. A fairly simple and straightforward partner assignment designed for us students to refresh our researching skills and develop connections with the others in our class.

REFLECTION:

Learning:

I think the main takeaways I got from this assignment was definitely how to cooperate with my partner. The work I put I put into this assignment was of a much larger magnitude than that of my partner's. I wouldn't typically complain about such a matter if he did enough to meet the minimum requirements but he did not do so, even when I gave him a large amount of guidance. I know in the future - in college and my profession - there will be many more occasions where I must work with incompetent individuals, so I think while this experience was a pain, I think that it was very necessary exposure for me. Now, I am not selfish enough to say that all the blame lies on my partner for being incompetent, but it is undeniable that I would have created a more effective presentation if I was partnered with someone who had even some idea of what they were doing. However, I know that simply blaming others will not take me any further in life so I am aiming to reform my ability to aid others before I have another partner project.

Improvements:

Other than the issue of my partner, I feel that I could have rehearsed my presentation a lot more so that I wouldn't have stuttered and stumbled over my words as much as I did during the presentation. While I didn't lose any points on presentation, I still feel that I can improve in that area. It was surprisingly difficult to find information on the specific helicopter I researched during this project - the first ever mass-produced helicopter, the Sikorsky R-4, - so I feel that rather than just using the internet like I did for this assignment, perhaps referring to academic databases could better provide me with the information I am looking for.