Balsa Flight
Top Balsa Glider Flight--38 feet
Don't forget to log every day.
Goal: For this project, you will be creating a glider out of balsa, glue, and tissue paper.
Artifacts: Pictures of your glider. You may want to take a picture before you take it to test in case it breaks.
Materials/Tools
Glue choice--hot glue or tacky white glue
(Hot glue is faster and allows for more repairs of your glider.)
Balsa Cutters--blue and black--blue one is better for making angle cuts
Balsa--1/8" by 1/8th" sticks available in coat closet
Tissue Paper for Wings
Up to 5 Grams of Modeling Clay -- to balance wings
The student is to create a balsa glider that meets the following expectations:
The plane glides crosses a line 20 feet away from the starting line.
The wings of the glider must be at least 15 inches wide.
Allowed construction materials: 1/8 by 1/8 balsa wood, glue, and tissue paper.
Maximum mass for the glider is 40-g.
The glider will be launched by hand.
Each student will be allowed three launches. The longest flight will be recorded.
You may use up to 5 grams of clay to balance your plane.
If you do this project for a 2nd Independent Project, then the distance expected to be reached will increase by 5 feet to 25 feet.
You may take it to the lobby by the office to test it. Make sure to be careful. You may want to wait until there is no one coming up the ramp to test.
You are expected to step into the office and let them know that you are testing your glider from my class.
You are expected to not create a distraction in the lobby while doing this. If it is reported that you are creating a distraction (loud, goofy, careless), then your grade will be reduced.
If a class is moving in the hallway, wait until they have left the lobby area, to test your glider.
You can find the balsa wood in the closet, the balsa box on the open shelves, the glue in the art supplies cabinet, and the tissue paper in the art supplies cabinet.