The main purpose of this documentation is to give reader the overall view of the whole design process of the glider. This documentation includes the methods, materials used, step by step procedure making the glider and some advantages and disadvantages of the glider. As a brief idea to the reader, the glider is made of foam board and the measurement of the glider is approximately 60 cm wide, length of both wings, 52 cm long, the length of the body and 11 cm height. Based on the documentation, reader will get to know how a glider works and may be able to build a glider all b themselves. This glider is suitable for students from upper primary, aged ten to adults. It is simple, easy, economical and fun playing.
2.0 Introduction
A glider is a simple, economical and fun playing toy to all the people aged ten and above. A glider is a special kind of aircraft that has no engine. Paper airplanes are the most obvious example, but gliders come in a wide range of sizes. Toy gliders, made of balsa wood or Styrofoam, are an excellent way for students to study the basics of aerodynamics. Foam is the better choice since it is easy to buy and more economical. It is also easier to cut foam to a desired shape than balsa wood.
Hang-gliders are piloted aircraft that are launched by leaping off the side of a hill. The Wright brothers perfected the design of the first airplane and gained piloting experience through a series of glider flights from 1900 to 1903.More sophisticated gliders are launched by ground based catapults, or are towed aloft by a powered aircraft then cut free to glide for hours over many miles. The Space Shuttle flies as a glider during reentry and landing; the rocket engines are used only during liftoff.
Compared to a powered aircraft, a glider has only three main forces acting on it: lift, drag, and weight. Forces are vector quantities having both a magnitude and a direction. The weight acts through the center of gravity and is always directed towards the center of the earth. The magnitude of the weight is given by the weight equation and depends on the mass of the vehicle plus its payload. The lift and drag are aerodynamic forces and act through the center of pressure. The drag is directed opposite to the flight direction, and the lift is directed perpendicular to the flight direction. There are many factors that influence the magnitude of the lift and drag forces.
In order for a glider to fly, it must generate lift to oppose its weight. To generate lift, a glider must move through the air. But the motion of a glider through the air also generates drag. In a powered aircraft, the thrust from the engine opposes drag. But a glider has no engine to generate thrust. With the drag unopposed, a glider quickly slows down until it can no longer generate enough lift to oppose the weight.
3.0 Methods
Scale = 1 : 2.7
4.0 Materials
D’arte Foam Board (162) 558.8mmx812.8mmx5mm
Mounting Board
Foam Cutter
Ruler and Blade
Pencil
| Material | Price (RM) |
| D’arte Foam Board | 12.90 |
| Mounting Board | 2.00 |
| Battery | 3.50 |
| Art Glue | 4.50 |
| Blade | Borrowed |
| Pencil | Borrowed |
| Foam Cutter | Borrowed |
| Total: 22.90 | |
Table 1 Table of Materials and Price
5.0 Procedures
1. Measure and draw the shape on the foam board and mounting board by using pencil and ruler.
2. Cut out the shape of the foam board by foam cutter.
3. Cut out the shape of the mounting board by using blade and ruler.
4. Join the mounting board and foam board with glue t o become the body of the glider.
5. Join the wings of the glider with the body.
6.0 Results
| Launching Angle ( ยบ) | Time ( ´´) |
| 0 | 2.04 |
| 15 | 2.58 |
| 30 | 2.99 |
| 45 | 3.51 |
Table 2 Table of Launching Angle and Time
Photo 1 Final Result
7.0 Discussion
In this documentation, reader can get the basic knowledge of how a glider works and all the forces of a glider. All the steps written in the procedure can lead the user to build up their own glider in a short while. In the documentation, foam is used to build the glider but with the knowledge gained, reader may build their own glider using other material which they desired.
There are advantages and also disadvantages if a glider is built using foam. One of the advantages of building a glider from foam is the weight of the glider will be lighter than other materials. Besides that, foam can be easily shaped into the desired shape by cutting it with a foam cutter. Another advantage is that foam can be easily found. One can find foam from stationery shops and it is also economical. Foam also comes in various size and colour. A glider will become more attractive with colour.
The disadvantage of building a glider with foam is that it is very brittle. A foam glider can be easily broken. The brittle characteristic of the foam make the glider cannot resist higher forces. When a bigger force is given to launch the glider, the wings of the glider may break. Besides, foam is not environmental friendly. The remainder of the foam after the glider is built need to be disposed properly.
8.0 Conclusion
In conclusion, there are many aspects needed to count in when a glider is built. We must consider the material uses to build the glider and its readability. Besides that, we need to make sure that the measurement of the glider is suitable and it can be flown up to the sky. We must also consider the forces acting on the glider. Therefore, if all the aspect is counted in, a successful glider can be easily built.
References
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blairplane.htm
www.oka.org.au/kites_in_the_classroom/index.htm
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/kite
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/glider
Appendices
Photo 2 Example of Glider
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