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Beginner's
Guide to Aeronautics
Designing an Aircraft Model
Activity
If so
instructed by your teacher, print out a worksheet page for these problems.
This activity will
provide you with a chance to explore the Internet for aircraft design
and make your own gliding aircraft using everyday items.
Refer to the Beginner's Guide to Aerodynamics for information about the
parts of an airplane.
Materials:
- paper
- construction paper
- tape
- bathroom tissue
roll
- paper towel roll
- drinking straws
- activity sheet
Procedure:
- Click on Three
Forces on a Glider.
- Read through the
text.
- Click on Four
Forces on an Airplane.
- Read through the
text.
- Compare powered
and non-powered aircraft.
- Go to Boeing
Historical Commercial Photos (http://www.boeing.com/companyoffices/gallery/boeinghistcom.html).
- Consider features
you may want to incorporate into the design of an aircraft as you look
through the photos of the various aircraft.
- Click on the
images to access additional data on a particular aircraft, such as span,
length, weight, top speed, range, and type of engine. (Warning: downloading
the information on each aircraft may take a while. Some, however, load
very quickly.)
- Now that you have
information, it's time to design an airplane. Use the materials available
to you to design your glider. Make sure it is functional. Then print
a copy of the Worksheet to use during the process of testing your glider.
- Test your glider.
Throw your glider and measure the distance it travels. Repeat this six
times and record your results.
- Insert your answers
in the table shown on the Worksheet.
- Now redesign the
glider, making some revisions that will increase the distance your plane
travels.
- Repeat steps 10
and 11. These are trials 7-12.
- Plot your information
on a graph showing the distance traveled in each trial.
- What comparisons
can you make between your original design trials and the redesigned
plane trials?
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