Projects with Planes 

The Falcon Flyer Project

Construct a Falcon Flyer!
You are going to construct a Falcon Flyer.
You can find a template for the flyer at this site.
First, Predict how far the Falcon Flyer will fly.
Then, you will fly the Falcon flyer THREE TIMES.  
Measure and record the distance (in feet) flown by the Falcon Flyer.

Submit your data!
 After you fly your plane three times, submit your flight data to this web site.  You will need to know the DISTANCE (in feet) of each flight trial.

Compare your data with other classes
Do you want to see how your flights compare to the flights of other students.  Check out this site....
How did your data compare?
Do you see any groups of data that stand out to you?
What conditions do you think could have helped some planes to fly farther than others?
Record your thoughts in your journal.

The Flight Control Project

So - Do you want to learn to CONTROL your plane better?
Well, as engineers design planes, they have to think about how to control the plane.
Before you visit this site, make some predictions.

To see the ROLL motion.
To see the YAW motion.
To see the PITCH motion.

See some ANIMATIONS of how the plane uses its various parts to control the plane.
(You need to scroll down to the bottom of this site to  see these animations)
As you watch the animations, think about this:
How do the parts on the wing and the tail of the plane control its movement?
How do you think the air is travelling around the plane as you adjust each part?
Draw a picture in your journal that explains your thinking.
 

Building a Model

The Model Shop
Choose one of the plane designs from the model shop to print and build.  Read the instructions for building the plane very carefully.
First BUILD your plane.
Then TEST your plane.
Then RECORD your results.