To kick off our airplane experiments, we started with the basics of passive flight by building a simple cardstock glider. We cut the wings and stabilizers out of paper, folded them to generate lift, and used hot glue to mount them onto a wooden dowel. This first activity was a great hands-on way to see how balancing weight and aligning the fins can make the difference between a smooth, graceful glide and an immediate nose dive before we moved on to powered designs.

After the glider, we built a balloon-powered paper plane to see how adding propulsion changes things. We used the exact same paper cutouts for the wings and stabilizers, but this time we taped them to a straw. Next, we blew up a balloon and taped it to the front. To launch the plane, we just gave it a gentle toss and let go of the balloon, the escaping air rushed out through the straw, giving the plane an instant burst of forward thrust! It was a really fun, hands-on way to see engine power in action.

As a hands-on introduction to aerodynamics, our team built and tested a classic paper stomp rocket. Using a grid-paper layout to construct the body, fins, and nose cone, we took our prototype outside to see how changes in design affected real-world flight. It was a great, fast-paced activity to test basic physics concepts like thrust, drag, and stability before moving on to our main robotics projects.

Alongside our stomp rocket trials, we built and tested miniature straw rockets as a quick hands-on physics experiment. Using grid paper to assemble custom fins, a slim body tube, and a conical nose cone directly over a drinking straw, we launched them indoors to study aerodynamic stability. This prototyping challenge was a fun way to observe how minor changes in fin shape and nose cone weight instantly affect a rocket's flight path.