STUDENT LIFE LAST UPDATED : 24 NOVEMBER 2017
A group of final year engineering students have paid a visit to archery club Lichfield Archers – but this wasn’t just going to be a day out away from their studies!
The five undergraduate Mechanical Engineering students are all engaged in major individual projects centred around the design of archery equipment, ranging from recurve bows for competitive target and field archery, to crossbows, sophisticated compound cams and the mathematical modelling of an arrow in flight.
The visit, on Wednesday 22 November, was arranged by their Project Supervisor, Alan Pendry, an Associate Professor in Birmingham City University’s Centre of Engineering. Alan has been a member of Lichfield Archers since 2005 and is a keen archer. The event was hosted by the club Captain, Alan Broadley, and club member and archery professional "Big Jim" Metcalfe.
The students already have a deep understanding of materials and manufacturing processes, and mechanical principles such as statics and dynamics, but here they learned about the history of bow design, the various materials used and their merits, and the future of equipment, as well as the rules of the sport’s governing bodies and the commercial aspects of designing for a highly competitive market.
The day was rounded off with a taster session where the students eagerly took the opportunity to shoot all the major types of bow, including traditional English longbows, at the club’s own indoor range.
Birmingham City University and the School of Engineering and the Built Environment would like to thank the Committee of Lichfield Archers for this fantastic insight and for the use of their facilities, and in particularly Alan Broadley and Jim Metcalfe for lending their invaluable insights and experience to what was a most informative and thoroughly enjoyable day out.
More info, including details of Beginners’ Courses, can be found at the Lichfield Archers' website and the Archery GB website.