The Purrfect Plane? Defence Company Launches Invention Competition For Children

Cover: William Ballantyne and Wopsie the cat (Picture: Leonardo).

On 2 July 1919, the first airship to travel across the Atlantic from east to west, left East Fortune in Scotland, before arriving in Long Island, New York four days later.

Smuggled on board, the crew found a cat named Wopsie who had been taken onto the ship by stowaway William Ballantyne.

Mr Ballantyne was one of the airship engineers who was supposed to stay behind to save weight.

Wopsie became a part of aviation history, and now engineering company Leonardo is encouraging children to design their own aircraft for Wopsie to fly in.

The competition, which marks the 100th anniversary of the RAF, will see children drawing their invention on a piece of paper or build it with any materials, to send a photo of it to the organisers.

The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, said: "Many children will not have been aware of this story and going back in time to share that spirit of adventure with them will inspire them to imagine, and hopefully build, the future of aerospace.

"That first flight from East Fortune was a great example of the combination of daring, innovation and courage which characterises so much of the history of British Aviation and the Royal Air Force."

Designs will be judged by a joint panel of representatives from Leonardo and the RAF, and the winning design will be announced in October.

Applications are now open and children can apply online.

Picture below: Leonardo.