You might think that helicopters are just part of the Air Force but the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) uses them too.
The Navy has five Seasprite maritime helicopters that are kept in shape by the Royal New Zealand Air Force but flown by Navy aircrew.
The Navy ships Te Kaha, Te Mana, Aotearoa, Canterbury, Wellington and Otago all have helicopter flight decks which the Seasprite helicopters can land on.
The Air Force also have eight NH90 helicopters that can operate from HMNZS Canterbury.
A Navy Seasprite helicopter was used to transport Department of Conservation staff, and other scientists, from HMNZS Canterbury to the Kermadec Islands, along with dogs from the New Zealand Conservation Dog Programme. The dogs and scientists were there to carry out conservation tasks and sometimes had to be lowered by cable into hard to reach places.
Fun fact: Helo is a military nickname for helicopter!
Mission:
- Make a helicopter that will stay in the air for the longest amount of time.
- The basic instructions are given below. How can you change these to make the helicopter take longer to reach the ground?
You will need:
- Paper
- One paper clip
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Stopwatch or clock for timing
Draw your template:
- Use a ruler to draw the template onto a piece of paper
- Cut out the paper and fold following the instructions below.
- Add a paperclip to the bottom.
- Test your helicopter by dropping it!
Fold your helicopter:
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