Aircrafts, Aerodynamics, and Balsa Gliders

Look into the sky and what’s the first thing you see? No, not the cloud that looks suspiciously like a bunny, or the helium balloon that just escaped the clutches of some unlucky kid. No, put your focus on the flying-metal beast that is likely zooming across your field of vision at this very moment. Did you know that there are on average 9,728 of these vehicles carrying millions of passengers in the sky right at this moment? PAUSE, I just got word that you 21st-century folk call these flying metal beasts “planes” or “aircraft”, what an odd name. But in hindsight, these names make sense, since these machines are crafty at manipulating air currents.

Back to that 9,728 figure, that’s a lot of planes—many of which come in numerous shapes and sizes, and are built for many different purposes; from F-22s which project aerial superiority in combat zones, to C-17 Globemasters which carry the tons of goods and are possibly transporting your next Amazon order. But planes haven’t always been so instrumental in our day-to-day lives. Rewind just 118 years ago, to the Wright brothers and their maiden flight on the “Wright Flyer” which took place on December 17, 1903. This flight of the first successful “heavier-than-air” aircraft marked the dawn of a new era—an era where man dominated the land, sea, and the skies.

Lift, the third aerodynamic force is created by the flow of air over and under the aircraft’s wing which creates regions of high and low pressure. This differential pressure causes the air to exert a force on the wing, and consequently, the wing exerts a force on the air allowing it to lift. Finally, we have Weight which is caused by the pull of earth’s gravity on the aircraft. All objects with a mass experience a weight force, and because most aircraft weigh upwards of 40 tons, you can be sure they produce A LOT of weight force.

If an aircraft can successfully manipulate these four principles of flight, then it will be able to conduct a smooth, stable flight with ZERO issues. But don’t take my word for it, you can test it for yourselves by building your own Balsa Wood Glider based on these principles. But instead of me telling you how to design a boring glider with paper and pencil, you will be doing so on a computer program called Aery software. Let’s get started.

To complete this project you will need the following materials, and don't forget to have an adult supervise you during the construction process.

Experiment Steps:

1. Using the Aery Software and your newly gained knowledge of aerodynamics, design a glider with an Aery # of at least 130 which features all of the traditional aircraft/glider components. It must include the following: a set of wings, vertical and horizontal stabilizers, and a “fuselage” that you will attach them to. Pictured to the right, is a basic glider with all these components. However, you have the freedom to add or take away any features and overall meld your creation to produce the most optimal AND original-looking glider. Now, design away…..