A TEAM from Woodmill High School proved themselves to be technology high-fliers when they triumphed in a special inter-school contest.

The Rotary Technology Tournament, sponsored by Babcock and Exxon, saw multiple teams from Woodmill, Dunfermline and St Columba’s high schools compete to design and build a solution to an unseen technical task which challenged their knowledge, ingenuity and manual skills as well as their ability to work as a team.

The youngsters were told to build a launch mechanism capable of accurately rocketing a “space capsule” to a height of three metres and returning it to the ground with the aid of a parachute.

Each team had to produce a portfolio detailing their design and decision-making process, as well as construct the launchpad itself.

The completed space capsule launchers were then tested on a launchpad base and judged by a team of engineers from Babcock, Exxon and Science Technology Engioneering and Maths (STEM), who were assembled by Dunfermline Rotarian Noel McKenna and headed by Rotarian Stuart Nichol, from the West Fife club.

A Rotary spokesman said: “The standard was exceptional and left all the judges very impressed with the approach, design and construction of the space launchers.

"Several exceeded the challenging performance criteria. This event was only made possible by our inter-club collaboration and the generous sponsorship from Babcock and Exxon.

"This significant and innovative addition to our youth and schools effort was a great success and will hopefully lead to more challenges being staged in the future.”