Start Your Engines is a station within the museum where anyone can contribute and help build a plane engine. It features a circular table so it’s accessible from all sides, all the tools necessary are there on tethers, buckets underneath the table of all the parts needed, and a how to manual on putting the engine together. It would engage anyone who uses it to learn more about the structure of a plane engine and how it works, as well as encouraging teamwork and community. It would certainly allow visitors to get a hands-on, first hand experience and knowledge base on a plane engine. People would be encouraged to spend more time in the park through this activity, there’s a sense of accomplishment in contributing to the engine, and it wouldn’t be as environmentally impactful as the plastic puddle jumper.
However, it’s perhaps a little too complicated for everyone to understand and bars younger audiences. Also, while the tools are easily tied to the table, the parts cannot be, so if a nut or bolt were to be lost it’d have to be replaced quickly. And if something breaks that’d also need replacement. It would require an experienced mechanic on hand to help guide patrons, and would also need to be disassembled every night or every time the engine’s completed. It’d be more work, time, and money than probably reasonable. It also begs the question: Is it inspiring future aviators or future engineers?
