| Every flying thing, whether it's an airplane, spacecraft, | | | | toward your elbow, make sure the rubber band |
| soccer ball, or flying kid, experiences four | | | | comes from the underside of the cups and release. |
| aerodynamic primary forces: lift, weight, thrust and | | | | The cups should rotate quickly and take air, then |
| drag. | | | | gracefully descend down for a light landing. Try |
| An airplane uses a propeller or jet engine to generate | | | | making one with four cups. |
| thrust. The wings to create lift. The smooth, | | | | Hot Air Balloons: Shake out a garbage bag to its |
| pencil-thin shape minimizes drag. And the molecules | | | | maximum capacity. Tape (use duct or masking tape) |
| that make up the airplane attributes to the weight. | | | | the open end almost-closed... you still want a small |
| Let's find out what are all the parts of an airplane for. | | | | hole the size of the hair dryer nozzle. |
| You'll need to get a cheap balsa wood airplane for | | | | Use the hair dryer to inflate the bag and heat the air |
| this next part - check out your local drug store or | | | | inside (make sure you don't melt the bag). |
| toy store. I've even found them in grocery stores | | | | When the air is at its warmest, release your hold on |
| for about $2. | | | | the bag while you switch off the hair dryer. It should |
| Take the balsa wood airplane and try to fly just the | | | | float up to the ceiling and stay there for a while. This |
| body (no wings or fins). It flips all over the place. Try | | | | experiment works best on cold mornings. The |
| flying just the large wing (no body). Somersaults! | | | | greater the temperature difference between the |
| Now slide the large wing into the body and fly (fewer | | | | bag's air and the surrounding air, the longer it will float. |
| somersaults, but still sickening to fly in!). | | | | Parachutes: Attach a piece of floss or thin string to |
| Now add a horizontal stabilizer (elevator) tail, and | | | | the four corners of a tissue. Attach a stick, a small |
| when you throw it, add a slight curve so the plane | | | | wad of stones wrapped in another tissue, a |
| "fishtails" in the air (like a car)... but did you notice that | | | | pinecone, etc. to the centers of the string. Practice |
| there are no more somersaults? | | | | dropping these from the balcony and see which falls |
| Add the vertical tail (rudder) and see how it now | | | | slowest with which load. |
| steers straight no matter how to curve-throw it. | | | | Ring Thing: Cut an index card into thirds lengthwise. |
| Sneaky Tip: if you remove the metal clip on the nose | | | | Loop one strip into a circle and tape ends together. |
| beforehand, you can add it last to really see what it's | | | | Place two remaining strips together end-to-end and |
| for... notice where most of the weight is without the | | | | tape, then loop into large circle and tape in place. |
| clip? | | | | Place a piece of tape across one end of a straw and |
| Let's make more things that demonstrate these | | | | gently secure one ring to the tape. Repeat on the |
| flying ideas! | | | | other end with remaining ring. Make sure the two |
| Helicopters: Cut out a paper rectangle 5 by 2 inches. | | | | rings are concentric (you can see through both like a |
| Cut lengthwise down the strip, stopping about an inch | | | | telescope). Throw it small-end-first! |
| before the end. Tape this uncut inch to the end tip | | | | Free Form Machines: Make an obstacle course with |
| of a popsicle stick. Fold the "bunny-ear" flaps down in | | | | some or all the following different challenges: |
| opposite directions. Throw off a balcony and watch it | | | | -Hit a target balloon (arm the machines with opened |
| whirl and gyrate! (Optional: You can notch the end of | | | | paper clips) |
| the popsicle stick to make a sling-shot helicopter. | | | | -Go over and under a suspended length of string |
| Make a quick slingshot launcher by looping a rubber | | | | -Make it through a hula hoop suspended vertically or |
| band to another popsicle stick end.) | | | | horizontally |
| Butterfly Cups: Tape two Dixie paper cups together, | | | | -Carry a jelly bean passenger safely across |
| bottom-to-bottom. Chain together six rubber bands. | | | | shark-infested waters (two tables spread apart) |
| Loop one end of the rubber band chain over your | | | | -Dangle large paper airplanes (made from 11x17" |
| thumb and hold your arm out horizontally straight, | | | | paper, or two 8.5x11" papers taped together to |
| palm up. Drape the remainder of the chain along your | | | | make an 11x17") from the ceiling for a 'dogfight' to |
| arm. Place the taped butterfly cups at the free end | | | | earn points if you tag one |
| (near your shoulder) and slowly wind the rubber | | | | -Shoot through the basketball hoop, and dive into a |
| bands around the middle section of the cups. When | | | | basket. |
| you wind near the end, stop, stretch the chain back | | | | |