The Loop Plane - Will It Fly?
Have you ever seen a paper airplane made with circular wings? Could a paper
airplane with wings that are shaped like circles really glide? Would this type
of paper airplane fly as far as a typical paper airplane?
Let’s find these answers and have some fun.
Let’s get started! You will need:
*1 plastic unbending drinking straw
*scissors
*pencils
*rulers
*clear tape
*meter sticks
*calculators
*chart paper
*4 strips of paper cut to these sizes for the loop wings:
Loop A dimensions: 1.43 cm x 11.43 cm (9/16 in x 4 1/2 in)
Loop B dimensions: 2.06 cm x 16.51 cm (13/16 in x 6 1/2 in)
Loop C dimensions: 2.06 cm x 12.38 cm (13/16 in x 4 7/8 in)
Loop D dimensions: 2.54 cm x 20.96 cm (1 in x 8 1/4 in)
Putting it together!
1. To make the plane, take strip A of paper and make a loop by overlapping the
ends by about one half inch. The ends should overlap enough to form a pocket
to slip the straw into. Tape each end of the paper in place. Repeat this step
with strip B of paper and print your name on it for identification.
2. Next, slide the straw into the pocket of one of paper loops. Slide the other
end of the straw into the pocket of the other paper loop.
Examine your plane to make sure that the two Also look at your plane to insure
wing loops are lined up with each other when that the loops are lined up
viewed end to end. parallel with each other.
Look at your plane horizontally to see if each wing is attached so that it is perpendicular to the straw.
Now you are ready to test fly your plane.
The "pilots" hold the straw in about the middle and throw it like they would a javelin.
Move the loop wings and bend them slightly if necessary until your plane glides in a smooth pattern. Practice flying the plane about five times.
What Is Your Average?
Begin the activity of flying the plane and measuring the distance it flies using a meter stick. Each plane flies three times, measuring and recording the distance covered each time. After the three flights have been recorded, find their average distance. Add the three distances on a calculator. Now divide the sum by 3 on the calculator. The answer may be a decimal answer. A decimal is an amount that is less than 1 whole number (like a fraction).
Now you will alter or change the design of your plane to determine which design gives the best performance for distance. We will not change the materials used to make the plane, but we will modify the size of the loops (both their width and their circumference) and their placement on the fuselage or body.
A. Working still with wing loops A and B, move the wings closer together (10 to 14 cm apart). Fly this new design 3 times and record your results. Remember to check the alignment of the wings as discussed earlier.
B. Next, remove the A and B wings and attach the wider C and D wing loops as you did at the beginning. Test fly you plane 10 times with the wings at the ends of the plane and again 3 times with the wings closer together. Record your flight distances in a table.
C. Average your distance reading for each test design. Include these in a table. You might also prepare a graph(s) to demonstrate the flight characteristics .
Conclusions : Which design factors provided the best flight performance?
Discussion : What was the dependent, independent, and controlled variables in this experiment? Can you develop a simple hypothesis concerning flight characteristics?
What would happen if we tried to fly the plane upside-down, or backwards ?
Take a look at http://www.faa.gov/education/resource/airplane.html to find out more about this neat glider.