Teams from nine Auckland schools design and fly a balsa wood aircraft built entirely from donated parts. The competition is run by the Royal Aero Society, with a cash prize on the line.
A Royal Aero Society initiative, Project Frankenplane challenges teams from Auckland schools to design, build, and fly a plane using only free parts. Students can’t spend money: they must beg, borrow, invent, acquire, and buy in that order.
Nine teams have participated from schools including Albany Senior, Takapuna Grammar, Avondale, Kaipara College, and Rosmini, with plans to grow the competition to 30 teams nationwide.
The aircraft must resemble a plane, carry a handball inside a tube, perform a series of horizontal manoeuvres, fly at both high and low speeds, accurately drop a ball onto a target, and land and take off again. Judging on the day covers design first, then flight performance. There is a cash prize sponsored by the Royal Aero Society.
Students work alongside volunteers from the aviation industry, model flying clubs, and engineering students throughout the build. Balsa wood is the material of choice: quick to shape, easy to repair between flights. The project has received significant donations of RC equipment and materials, keeping costs close to zero.
Students learn how planes work, how to fly them, and how to fix them quickly. Different year groups work alongside industry volunteers, sharing knowledge across the group.
Schools interested in entering can get in touch and we will get your students sorted.
In the news
- New aviation endeavors at Rosmini — Rosmini College, June 2025
