Technology is a matter of passion. We can be passionate about designing large prototypes like a Helipad or a solar ship, but we can also find an interest in manufacturing, and sometimes designing, all the planes for a museum on a reduced scale. This will allow us to have an overview of the fascinating history of aeronautics, of these engineers who sometimes achieved the impossible. The extraordinary diversity of aircraft in service is often the result of complex and detailed approaches of use. The objectives of simplicity, not always achieved, The particular constraints, cultures and mastery of technologies depending on the country, all criteria which lead to sometimes very different architectures, or on the contrary, will lead two countries to design the same type device, beyond espionage considerations. Beyond the technical aspect, it tells us about geopolitics and the struggles for influence between the large blocs: We thus see, through the programs launched, the evolution of the balance of power. There is a priori no good or bad architecture (although we may sometimes have doubts). You often have to ask yourself the question of usage to understand what led to a choice. The designer, to achieve his objective, must have a good vision of what existed and why technological choices were made. Indeed, certain solutions may have been abandoned because the technology of the time (active control for example) did not make it possible to obtain the expected results. This will give us valuable ideas for designing and sometimes innovating.
This year, a new activity was born from the passion for small objects and their manufacture. Thus, a brand new laboratory intended for the additive manufacturing of small parts with great precision, makes it possible to launch a range of kits for model makers.