-
8/8/2019 Physics Students Design Model Airplanes
1/17
Physics Students Model AirplanePhysics Students Model
Airplane
Design Challenge 2010Design Challenge 2010
By Bill KuhlBy Bill Kuhl
-
8/8/2019 Physics Students Design Model Airplanes
2/17
Early January of 2010 I helped a science teacher friend
with anassignment forhis physics students to design,
construct,and fly arubberpowered model airplane. Ihelped for two
class sessions; the first to show sample
planes I had built and explain designapproaches such
as hi-aspect ratio, dihedral, winglets, target weight,and
wing area. Students were given suggested formulas for
sizing the surfaces based on the wing area. I thenreturned the
end of the week to help with the flying.
-
8/8/2019 Physics Students Design Model Airplanes
3/17
Two variations from the basic Denny Dart design.
ExamplesExamples
-
8/8/2019 Physics Students Design Model Airplanes
4/17
Hi-aspect ratio version of Denny Dart in flight.
-
8/8/2019 Physics Students Design Model Airplanes
5/17
I brought a Squirrel model plane forshow but this one was built
by
the designer, Darcy Whyte.
-
8/8/2019 Physics Students Design Model Airplanes
6/17
Students built theirplanes on cardboard, I preferto use ceiling
tile.
BuildingBuilding
-
8/8/2019 Physics Students Design Model Airplanes
7/17
Hi-aspect ratio wing with under-chamberairfoil,at least a couple
of the
students took this approach and theirplanes flew well.
-
8/8/2019 Physics Students Design Model Airplanes
8/17
Wing tips were extended behind the rest of the trailing
edge.
-
8/8/2019 Physics Students Design Model Airplanes
9/17
This student forgot the vertical fin, hopefully that was
corrected.
-
8/8/2019 Physics Students Design Model Airplanes
10/17
This student built a smallerplane with high-aspect ratio and tip
dihedral.
-
8/8/2019 Physics Students Design Model Airplanes
11/17
FFlying
-
8/8/2019 Physics Students Design Model Airplanes
12/17
These students were very good about working together,and traded
off
being the stooge while the plane ownerdid the winding.
-
8/8/2019 Physics Students Design Model Airplanes
13/17
A couple of years before this, the physics students were
given the same assignment but they had less instructionon what
was important fora good flight. There were
many clever ideas, but not many of these planes flew
very well.
-
8/8/2019 Physics Students Design Model Airplanes
14/17
Flying wing on the left must have been influenced by the
Stringless
Wonder. Planes on the right were too heavy for the rubberand
propellerused.
-
8/8/2019 Physics Students Design Model Airplanes
15/17
The biplane might have flew if there was not so much curve in
the airfoil
which caused too much drag.
-
8/8/2019 Physics Students Design Model Airplanes
16/17
Very interesting twinmotordesign, with more stability it might
have
flown well.
-
8/8/2019 Physics Students Design Model Airplanes
17/17
