Fling It to Wing It is an exciting middle school competition where the engineering design process comes alive through aerospace innovation. The mission: design a plane and launcher that flies the longest distance—without being too big, too light, or too expensive. Teams compete for distance awards and special prizes recognizing creativity, smart engineering, and thoughtful design.

Registration is easy:
1. Form a team of 1–5 students and a coach (parent, teacher, or trusted mentor).
2. Research gliders and launchers, sketch your design, plan materials, and create a budget.
3. Submit your forms by March 1 on the San Diego Air and Space Museum website.
4. Build, test, redesign—and test again! Aim for 5–10 improvements.
5. Join us April 11 for competition day and fly your invention. Judges from the aerospace community meet individually with each team to discuss their design choices.

New this year: an onsite paper airplane contest! Use our supplies to build and compete for distance.

Preregister or arrive around 1 p.m. to join the fun. Special thanks to the General Atomics Educational Fund for supporting prize money and outreach that helps new teams gain aircraft design skills.

The idea is simple: build a plane (fuselage, wings and a tail), release it from your catapult (throws the plane using potential energy), and compete to see who can fly the longest.

REGISTER HERE
https://form.jotform.com/253346154492055

DOWNLOAD THE FLYER

Important Dates
Submissions - Submit your entries by March 1, 2026
Final Photo - April 3, 2026
Competition - Finals held April 11, 2026 at the San Diego Air & Space Museum

Grade Level - 4th Grade- 9th grade

Special Offer- have our Mission Control Bus come to your location and teach an aircraft design class to inspire your students for the competition.

Click here to learn more about this exciting and fun engineering challenge!

Good luck and Happy Engineering!