BUDDING engineers were put through their paces by Army and RAF technicians on Tuesday as 80 pupils from schools across the county visited MoD Lyneham.

The Defence School of Electronic and Mechanical Engineering challenge included a go kart pit stop, racing Bloodhound rocket cars with the Bloodhound Land Speed Record Team and they were even given access to Army Gazelle helicopters.

Year 9 pupils from Royal

Wootton Bassett Academy were selected from 80 pupils that will be studying engineering BTEC in September.

Kerry Hall, careers manager at Royal Wootton Bassett Academy said: “The pupils who went are all potential future engineers. Many of the children learn better in a practical way and this gave them the chance to apply the learning they have done in school DT and science lessons and put it into practice.

“They particularly enjoyed the pit stop exercise and they wanted to try it again and again to beat their scores. Many children come from Lyneham and have parents working there so there were many links to the day.”

The schools taking part included The Ridgeway School in Wroughton and Corsham School.

Children aged between 11 and 16 attended the event and got the chance to ask engineers questions about what their jobs involved before watching a display by the Royal Mechanical and Electrical Engineers using a Warrior armoured recovery to rescue a stranded Challenger tank.

Colonel Ed Heal OBE, Commandant DSEME, said: “I am sure the young people taking part in the challenge recognised how engineering plays a vital part in today’s armed forces.

“I hope that what they saw and experienced in the challenges we set will persuade them to make engineering the core of their future careers.”

The event is part of the Army’s Year of Engineering 2018 campaign.