PENGENALAN KONSEP FISIKA TERAPAN DALAM TEKNIK PENERBANGAN KEPADA SISWA SMA MELALUI PRAKTIKUM EDUKATIF

Physics education at the senior high school level is generally theoretical and often lacks real-world application, particularly in the field of aerospace engineering. SMA Taruna Nusantara Cimahi identified the need for contextual physics practicum activities to broaden students' understanding of applied science. This community service program aimed to introduce the concepts of applied physics in aviation through an interactive and educational practicum approach based on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). The STEM approach is essential for fostering critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and interdisciplinary understanding required in the modern era. The program consisted of a scientific Introduction Aeronautical Engineering, UAV demonstration, the construction of OHLG (Outdoor Hand Launch Glider), and eight physics practicum sessions: wind tunnel, smoke tunnel, vibration and sound resonance, folded structure testing, impact testing, paper airplane flight, propeller thrust, and weight and balance. A total of 240 students participated, with 48 students attending the physics practicum sessions, while the rest joined the OHLG building and flight activities. Evaluation was conducted through a questionnaire distributed to 34 students from the practicum group. Results showed that the wind tunnel experiments were the most favored, as they introduced new and practical knowledge related to aviation that students had not encountered before. Participants also suggested that the practicum duration be extended to allow deeper exploration of the material. Overall, this program effectively enhanced science literacy, student engagement, and interest in aerospace engineering through contextual STEM-based learning.