Six years ago, two aircraft enthusiasts by the names of Cubey Terra and Apotheus Silverman set the foundations for a futuristic airport known as Abbotts Aerodrome. Over subsequent years, the aerodrome grew and so did the group of volunteers, builders, designers and sellers. The goal: to have fun in the sky and promote flight and aerosports in SL.

Now it's 2010, and we're six years old. To celebrate, we're hosting a design contest -- the third design contest in Abbotts history. The first contest challenged aircraft makers to build an original design aircraft from the Terra plane kit. The second contest asked designers to create a lunar lander. This, the third contest, is in a similar vein...



CAN YOU DESIGN AN ORBITER VEHICLE?

Objective: Design and build an earth orbit vehicle as well as its launch and re-entry method.

This means designing potentially two vehicles: a launch vehicle as well as the orbiter itself. Alternatively, maybe your orbiter is capable of achieving orbit on its own without assistance. Or perhaps it's launched into orbit by a ground launch device, like a cannon or track, for example.

PRIZES

All entries will be judged by a panel of hand-picked SL aeronautics and aerospace enthusiasts.

• FIRST PRIZE: L$6000 and six months of free display/sales space at Abbotts Aerodrome.
  
  
• SECOND PRIZE: L$3000 and five Terra brand products of the winner's choice.
  
  
• THIRD PRIZE: L$1000 and a JSA Airfield Kit by Jim Perhaps.

Winners will be announced in a presentation at 12:00 noon (SL time) on Sunday.

CRITERIA

• Your orbiter vehicle or vehicles do not necessarily have to be scripted. Unscripted entries are welcome.
  
  
• Your design must effectively represent:
  How the vehicle is launched and achieves earth orbit.
  How the vehicle survives atmospheric re-entry.
  How the vehicle lands or splashes down.
  
  
• Set up a display model of your orbiter vehicle (and launch method or launch vehicle) for the weekend of February 27/28 in Abbotts.
  
  
• Each vehicle (orbiter and optional launch vehicle) must be NO MORE THAN 31 PRIMS. Sculpted prims are allowed.
  
  
• Scale models are permitted where there isn't room to display your full-size design.
  
  
• Provide a notecard describing how your orbiter works, how it reaches orbit, as well as how it might re-enter and land. We're not necessarily looking for realism: science-fiction solutions to achieving orbit are perfectly acceptible (anti-grav units, anyone?), though if you propose technology that doesn't exist, you will need to go into more detail in describing how, for example, your orbiter generates an anti-gravity field. Please use a notecard dispenser.
  
  
• Each entry must be created by the person who built it. So no buying an orbiter on Xstreet, for example, and submitting that.
  
  
• Team entries are allowed, but must be entered under one person's name. If the entry wins, any prizes go to that individual.
  
  
• ONLY ONE ENTRY PER PERSON OR TEAM.
  
  

HOW TO ENTER

Starting on Friday, February 26, bring your display model to Abbotts Aerodrome. We will provide display pads for each submission. Simply pay the pad a nominal L$5 non-refundable entry fee to claim it. (The entry fee is to discourage non-serious entries.)

Deadline: 12:00 noon (SL time) on Saturday, Feb. 27. Empty pads will be deleted even if claimed.

Remember: We have limited space and prim allocation in Abbotts, so be sure to arrive early to claim your pad and set up your display.

MAY THE BEST AEROSPACE DESIGNERS WIN!