Isaiah takes one of his ground Effect Vehicles prototypes for a test drive at Squirrel Creek last month. These vehicles travel efficiently over flat surfaces without fully
flying or floating in the water, which places them outside conventional classifications of airplanes and marine vessels. His creation earned him a Silver Medal at the National Science Fair in June.
In early June, sixteen year old Isaiah Jalsevac was one of more than 500 students who participated in the Canada-Wide Science Fair held at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton. His project, called “The Hidden Lift: The Efficiency Gains in Win in Ground Effect Vehicles” had already secured top place in the Intermediate (Grade Nine and Ten) category in the regional Science Fair in Peterborough, which qualified his project for the national competition.
You may need some background information to appreciate the nature of his project. According to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Ground Effect Vehicles (GEVs) are designed to operate in close proximity to an impervious surface, such as the ground or water, where the interaction between the airflow and the surface produces a rise in static pressure and a reduction in drag. This phenome-non, known as ground effect, enables the vehicle to generate lift more efficiently and support its weight when flying at low altitudes. GEVs are specifically configured to take advantage of this ground effect, and they are often referred to as surface skimmers. The most common example of this type of vehicle is a hovercraft. Isaiah built a battery-operated remote control hovercraft which he programed to maneuver across the Otonabee River at Squirrel Creek. To be precise, he built a dozen of them but like most prototypes, most met with a sudden and untimely demise. As the expenses of his project climbed, he found a sponsor for the foam exterior component of his vehicles in David Britton of Millbrook Home Hardware.
The Peterborough Regional Science Fair has been encouraging students to explore scientific thought through hands-on projects for more than fifty years. In addition to cash prizes, award winners earn the opportunity to compete in the nation-wide competition in June. At the national competition, Isaiah took home silver in his cate-gory, along with scholarships from three Canadian universities and a special cash prize.
Isaiah has just completed Grade Ten at Our Lady of Wayside Catholic School in Peterborough, and is considering pursuing studies in aeronautic engineering at the University of Toronto or Waterloo. Unfortunately those schools were not among those offering him scholarships, but there’s still time for them to take note of this talented young man and entice him with financial incentives of their own.
His first priority, though is to become a licensed pilot. Not a commercial pilot- he equates that job to operating a bus route. This is a young man with plans and ambition. He first graced the pages of this paper at age eleven when he launched a custom furniture business called Cutting Edge Custom Furniture. He is get-ting back into the business to raise cash for his next project. He hopes to extend the flight duration of his vehicles from30 minutes to several hours, which will require more substantial and hence more expensive batteries. Congratulations, Isaiah.
