T/E Students Hoping To Break Egg Drop Guinness World Record

TREDYFFRIN-EASTTOWN, PA — A group of students from Conestoga High School and Valley Forge Middle School this weekend will ideally break a Guinness World Record.

The T/E Egg Drop Team Sunday will conduct their egg drop at the American Helicopter Museum & Education Center in West Chester.

The team — comprised of Matthew Ma, Charlie Gawthrop, Jeffrey Wang, Breckin Shefflerwood, and teacher Dr. Derrick Wood — will aim for the record for "Greatest Height to Drop a Protected Egg Without Breaking" at 1 p.m. Sunday.

The record they are seeking to break is 54.13 feet. And it was set by the T/E Egg Drop Team in June 2022.

"On Sunday, our goal will be 80 to 90 feet depending on the conditions of the day," Ma told Patch.

Their egg-protecting device went through many iterations and was tested at multiple heights to ensure effectiveness.

The team searched for devices concepts online and used the materials at their disposal to make their own, bespoke device.

"For our first attempt, the general shape was more rectangular, and that was effective from our 43-foot drop," Ma said. "Since then, we have changed the shape to be triangular, which has survived an 80-fo0t drop with limited assistance from the parachute."

While designing the device, the team had to adhere to strict guidelines set by Guinness.

Directly surrounding the egg is foam and cardboard to hold the device together.

Straws jut out from all sides to act like a crumple zone, waiting to absorb energy from the drop.

But most importantly, Ma said, is the parachute. The team used a simple plastic bag and an elastic string to give their device the help it needs.

The team will continue to test their design up to the drop date with a drone to ensure that the egg will not break the day of the drop.

"I think I can speak for the whole team when I say we never imagined this idea would take us this far," Ma said of the prospect of breaking the Guinness World Record. "What started as a crazy concept in our Science Olympiad class has now grown into something real, something with a dedicated team behind it that could actually make an impact. To us, holding the Guinness World Record would be a testament to how far we've come, really proving that anything is possible."

Ma, Gawthrop, and Wang are rising seniors at Conestoga High School, and Shefflerwood a new member on the team, and is a student at Valley Forge Middle School.

Wood will be starting his 21st year at Conestoga High School next week.

Sunday is also World Helicopter Day.

The American Helicopter Museum & Education Center will also offer helicopter rides from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. for an additional fee.

Admission to the museum includes all exhibits and experiences, including our current special exhibits "To The Moon: Snoopy Soars with NASA" and "Rockets and Rotors."

The American Helicopter Museum & Education Center is located at 1220 American Boulevard in West Chester.