Glider's Design Competition

During the 2 weeks break, our team went back to school to discuss about our glider. Before when we went back to meet, we went to get the materials that for the glider.

The following material that we used are: 

1. One sheet of foam
2. A box of Plasticine
3. Pencil and papers
4. Penknife.

Total price (one sheet of foam, and box of plasticine) : $3 only.

During the discussion, we research on how the glider should look like. After we get the rough idea of how a glider should look like, we then draw rough sketches to see how the plane looks like. After we confirm with the design, we then trace out each individual part of the glider and then we cut them out as templates. After we managed to get the templates out, we did some rough gliding sessions by cutting out the shape out on those recycled foam boards. For our glider, we did not use any scotch tapes or glue. We cut slips and we slot the parts into the different slips. We slowly experiment with it, by adding more weights, which is the plasticine, to allow it to be stable and also to allow it to glide further. 

We first added some weight at the tip of the glider, which is the nose. This allow it to glide a bit, but we encountered one problem: the plane keep doing stunts like spinning 360 before it crash. To solve, we added some more weights, but this time is place on both side of the wing. This improves it as it stable the whole glider itself, but the glider did not go far because of the weight. Then we went to research more about glider design itself again, then we realize we can expand the wing span of the plane, to allow it to have the maximum lift. We then recreate a new wing for the glider. And this time round, the surface area of the wing is much more larger then the original. 

After we had everything in place, we try to glide it, but it failed. the whole glider tilted and it spins again. We then again add plasticine at the nose to give the front more weight. But again the same result happens. Then melvin went to grab more plasticine and stick it at the nose of the glider. Then we give it a go again. And this time round, the result was perfect. It glides very far. 

Here is our 1st success test glide

Because we kept on testing, the glider keep knocking onto the walls and in the end, our 1st prototype the nose broke. This is due to the large amount of weight at the front. We then return back to our work place and we come up with the same design, prototype 2. Since we know that to keep the glider glide the furthers, we need to add weight in front. Then we added weights at the nose of the glider using plasticine. We then shape the plasticine according to the nose of the plane. And we give it another go.

Here is our 2nd test glide

This time round, the nose of the plane is much more durable. But because we are happy with the result, we keep flying it, and thus finally the body of the glider gave away and prototype 2 was destroyed again. Then we bring home and we make a better one, with cleaner edges etc. 

Here is our final version.

We also thought of adding some supports to the main body since the main body of the glider is quite weak compare to the rest of the parts. This is to prevent the glider to be destroyed easily when it bumps into walls or had a crash land.

This activity taught us how to create our own foam glider. In the past, we only buy and we fix it and play it, but we do not know how was it created. And also, this activity is very interesting as we get to "play" in when we test the glider.