ALUMNI PROFILE

The Arkwright Scholarship made me aware of what a career in AEROSPACE engineering entailed and the steps ENGINEERING needed to get there.

NAME: PETER SYMES-THOMPSON

I was a kid obsessed with Lego and internships and took part in sea trials had moved on to building single seater on this craft. I had a great time, making PERSONAL PROFILE: racing hovercraft by the time I received lifelong friends along the way. Scholarship Awarded the Arkwright Engineering Scholarship. I 2005 – 2007 used the Scholarship’s financial award to When I did go to university, I learnt help build new exhausts and make my theory behind tools I had seen used ARKWRIGHT SPONSOR: first wooden hovercraft go faster. The in real design offices. A course in Scholarship made me aware of what a engineering can give opportunity Rolls-Royce plc career in engineering entailed and the for travel, and I was lucky to spend steps needed to get there, building on my third year at the University of A LEVELS: my existing technical interests. Washington, Seattle as an exchange Maths, Further Maths, student, where I saw the Dreamliner Physics, D&T The most important part of my complete its flight testing with the Scholarship was the work experience at engines I had seen at Roll-Royce. UNIVERSITY: Rolls-Royce in Derby. It was fascinating University of Bristol, seeing prototypes of the engines now After university I spent 18 months MEng in Aerospace used on the 787 Dreamliner. For a few at Aviation Enterprises developing Engineering with a weeks I tagged along with the ‘nacelles and testing two tonne carbon fibre Study Year in the USA and integration team’ and sat next to blades used in tidal power farms. the guy that designed the cool serrated Next I worked on Wankel engines for CURRENT POSITION: trailing edge on the engine pod. I came UAVs, before moving to my current away from the experience with my job with Reaction Engines. Here, we Design Engineer, mind set on a career in engineering. are developing a new class of engine, Reaction Engines SABRE, which could enable single stage The Scholarship introduced me to to orbit vehicles. My role is varied from other schemes for aspiring engineers designing aerodynamic tests to working such as the Year-In-Industry (YINI) on new bearing and seal technologies. scheme. After my A-levels I did not As if that was not stimulating enough, want to go straight into another 3 years hovercraft racing has continued to be a of exams, so applied to YINI and got passion in my spare time. a job at QinetiQ’s marine platforms group in Portsmouth. I spent the year Through Arkwright I learnt how to in a team designing the PACSCAT take advantage of every opportunity prototype landing craft for the Royal that came my way; if you don’t ask Marines. Later I returned for summer you don’t get!

Arkwright Scholarships Trust Telephone 01926 333210 Holly House Facsimile 01926 333212 74 Upper Holly Walk Email [email protected] LEAMINGTON SPA www.arkwright.org.uk Warwickshire, CV32 4JL www.arkwright.org.uk/alumni

Arkwright Scholarships Trust is a registered charity Charity No. 1091988 Registered in England and Wales No. 4401993