Unit 6 - Flight and Space

Overview

The study of aerospace engineering would not be complete without a basic understanding of the history of aerospace. Many students think that the space shuttle can go to the moon. Some even think people have been to Mars. These misconceptions are often the result of watching science fiction movies or television programs that look real to students.In this lesson students will be introduced to the history of flight through hands-on activities, research, and a presentation in the form of an infomercial. By having the entire class experience the flight characteristics of various vehicles, explore the differences between aircraft and rockets, research their respective histories, and view each other’s infomercial productions, each student will gain a greater understanding of the evolution of flight.

History of Flight and Space

FLIGHT

SPACE

Concepts

1. The aerospace industry uses engineers who specialize in many different types of engineering careers.

2. The history of aerospace studies has influenced how people meet the challenges of traveling through the atmosphere or in space.

3. Engineering designs in aerospace exploration evolve as they are developed.

4. Different types of vehicles result in different types of flight.

Performance Objectives

It is expected that students will:

· Apply their knowledge of research techniques to investigate the history of an aerospace vehicle.

· Experience the flight characteristics of kites, whirly gigs, model airplanes, hot air balloons, and model rockets.

· Utilize language arts skills to write a script and create a storyboard for an infomercial promotion of an aerospace vehicle.

Essential Questions

1. What engineering careers are specific to the aerospace industry?

2. What are the various types of flight vehicles?

3. Why are different flight vehicles designed differently?

4. What were the first technological advancements that continue to lead to the advancement of flight?

5. What is the difference between airplane flight and space flight?

Flying Machines Links:

FOIL SIM II - http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/foil2.html

Wind Tunnel Info. - http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/k-12/airplane/tunnel1.html

Wind Tunnel Modler - http://wright.nasa.gov/airplane/tunnlint.html

Rocket Modeler II - http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/rocket/rktsim2.html

Concepts

1. Forces working on an airplane in flight are lift, gravity, thrust, and drag.

2. In order to fly, an airplane must overcome gravity with sufficient lift and must overcome drag with sufficient thrust.

3. Newton’s three laws of motion are observed in both spacecraft and aircraft.

4. Bernoulli’s principle, which states that as the speed of a fluid increases, its pressure decreases, explains in part how an airfoil gains lift.

5. Changing a wing's angle of attack affects the speed of the air flowing over the wing and the amount of lift the wing creates.

6. Airfoils are tested for performance in a wind tunnel.

Performance Objectives

It is expected that students will:

· Distinguish between the forces of lift, drag, weight, and thrust that affect an object moving through a fluid. Understand the importance of each force.

· Examine how center of gravity affects an aerospace vehicle in distributing weight.

· Discover how Newton’s laws apply to flight and space.

· Discover Bernoulli’s principle through exploration.

· Recognize the tools and purpose of aeronautic design and testing.

· Identify the characteristics of an airfoil and how they compare and contrast with the characteristics of wings.

· Analyze the features and benefits of different types of wings.

· Describe the major parts (fuselage, empennage, high lift devices, wings, undercarriage, propulsion, instruments, and controls) of aircraft and how they can affect the overall balance of an airplane during flight.

· Research and design an airfoil that will create lift using a wing tester.

Essential Questions

1. Why are aircraft categorized into heavier-than-air and lighter-than-air vehicles?

2. What makes an airplane fly?

3. What is a propulsion system and how is it used to move an aircraft and a spacecraft?

4. How do the forces of lift, drag, gravity, and thrust affect the flight of an airplane?

5. What is an airfoil?

6. Does the shape of a wing have anything to do with how much lift it generates?

7. What are Newton’s laws of motion?

Concepts

1. Reliable, inexpensive rockets are the key to enabling humans to travel, work, visit, and commercially develop space.

2. There are many reasons for going into space, including colonization, intelligence surveillance, international diplomacy, natural resources, research, satellites, and advancing technology.

3. Humans must adjust their diets, hygiene, clothing, recreation, and sleep patterns in order to survive in space.

4. Engineers use technology on the moon to research, design, and build appropriate equipment to solve problems related to the topography and atmosphere found on the moon.

Performance Objectives

It is expected that students will:

· Explore the history and development of rocketry, space flight, and living in space.

· Discover the basic principles of flight and rocketry.

· Investigate how changes in various design characteristics of a rocket will affect the rocket’s performance.

· Know that a rocket must overcome the forces of gravity and drag in order to escape the atmosphere.

· Understand that an orbit is the balance of gravity and an object’s tendency to follow a straight path.

· Use an immersive learning simulation to select optimal components for a lunar robot’s engine, power source, tires, body type and sensor system to save stranded astronauts on the moon.

· Understand the challenges that engineers face to provide safe travel and optimum living conditions in space.

Essential Questions

1. How does a rocket travel from Earth to the moon?

2. What is the purpose of the International Space Station?

3. How is living in space different from living on Earth?

4. What do humans need in order to live in space? How do they breathe? What will they eat? How will they produce power? How will they shower and use the bathroom?

5. What are some technologies developed by engineers that help astronauts live comfortably in space?

6. What are some benefits of using a robotic rover on the moon?

7. How do the research and experiments conducted in space benefit life on Earth?

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