Multidisciplinary Project of Historical Aircraft Virtual Reconstructions as a Way of Popularizing Science

Research and development institutions have a wide range of competences in their fields of scientific and technical activity. They also often have some unique capabilities to do research and development (R&D). However, these possibilities are often known only to a small group of industry specialists and few parliamentary representatives. There is also a lack of information about research capabilities of R&D institutes in industry, especially among small and medium enterprises.

The aim of the article is to present the concept of a multidisciplinary research project aimed at testing by a scientific research institution the possibility of using social media and modern techniques of visualization and computer simulation in aircraft reconstruction engineering. The authors propose to try the approach of marketing campaign capabilities of research and development institutions in a way similar to the action of raising funds for some purpose, but unlike this type of action, the campaign should be aimed at increasing technical awareness of the society. As part of the pilot program, the authors propose a virtual reconstruction of the construction of the Polish PZL P-50 Jastrząb fighter plane whose two prototypes were created before the outbreak of World War II. On the basis of analyses, calculations and computer simulations, in the second phase it is proposed to make a preliminary design of the aircraft with performance similar to the PZL P-50 on the basis of modern knowledge and the latest technologies available in aviation technology. One of the ways to encourage people to undertake creative work, including the restoration of historical objects, will allow them to gain valuable employment possibilities in R&D institute [19].

The combination of marketing techniques, using the power of social media, with the strictly engineering challenges of recreating a historic aircraft and designing its modern equivalent, gives the possibility to confirm the technical and organizational capabilities of the research and development institutions. On the basis of the above activities, a database of people interested in research and development activities of scientific institutions and their contribution to the reconstruction of historically important products of Polish technical thought will be built.