Will It Fly?
Will it fly?Copyright 2008 Aarondoucett, Wikimedia Commons http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pairs_kites.jpg
Students learn about kites and gliders and how these models can help in understanding the concept of flight. They learn about the long history of human experimentation with kites, the eventual achievement of flight with the invention of airplanes, and the pervasive impact of the airplane on the modern world (pros and cons). Then students move on to conduct the associated activity, during which teams design and build their own balsa wood glider models and experiment with different control surfaces, competing for distance and time. They apply their accumulated existing knowledge (from previous lessons and activities in this unit) about the four forces affecting flight and modifiable airplane components, and apply an engineering design methodology to develop sound gliders. To conclude, they reflect on and communicate the reasoning and results of their design modifications.
Orville and Wilbur Wright were inventors who might be considered early aeronautical engineers. When they designed their first airplane, they built balsa models and kites to test how well it would fly. Modern engineers do the same thing when designing airplanes. Engineers today also use computers to test aspects of their designs before they build the real thing. Doing this less expensive, easier and quicker since they can learn from their failures while using the small-size, inexpensive models instead of making costly mistakes using full-size prototype airplanes.
After this lesson, the students should be able to:
- Identify the four forces affecting flight.
- Describe the evolution of flight design through history.
- Explain why engineers build models before a final product.
- Give examples of how aircraft models can be modified to improve flight.