Challenge 3
Dimensions & Statistics Aery Evaluation Number: 170 Fuselage Length: 28.90 cm Wing Location: 6.14 cm Stabilizer Location: 21.28 cm Vertical Tail Location: 20.30 cm Mass at Nose: 4.79 g Center of Gravity Location: 8.81 cm Neutral Point Location: 12.16 cm ESTIMATED Mass: 12.20 g Wing Loading 0.065 g/cm^2 Throwing Velocity: 40.00 km/hr Flight Angle of Attack: 1.36 degrees Stabilizer Incidence Angle: -1.46 degrees (positive upward) ESTIMATED Stall Angle: 9.64 degrees ESTIMATED Stall Velocity: 12.97 km/hr ESTIMATED Glide Angle: 12.34 degrees (positive downward) ESTIMATED CDo: 0.018 Wing Span: 30.16 cm Planform Area 188.37 cm^2 Wing Root Chord: 6.54 cm Wing Taper Ratio: 0.91 Wing Tip Chord: 5.95 cm Wing Tip Sweep Distance: 3.62 cm Wing Leading Edge Sweep Angle: 13.49 degrees Wing Aspect Ratio: 4.83 CL,alpha: 4.15 1/radian Stabilizer Span: 15.42 cm Planform Area 49.87 cm^2 Stabilizer Root Chord: 3.92 cm Stabilizer Taper Ratio: 0.65 Stabilizer Tip Chord: 2.55 cm Stabilizer Tip Sweep Distance: 2.14 cm Stabilizer Leading Edge Sweep Angle: 15.50 degrees Stabilizer Aspect Ratio: 4.77 CL,alpha: 4.10 1/radian Vertical Tail Height: 5.81 cm Planform Area 22.34 cm^2 Vertical Tail Root Chord: 4.18 cm Vertical Tail Taper Ratio: 0.84 Vertical Tail Tip Chord: 3.51 cm Vertical Tail Tip Sweep Distance: 1.65 cm Vertical Tail Leading Edge Sweep Angle: 15.81 degrees |
Challenge 1
Dimensions & Statistics Aery Evaluation Number: 127 Fuselage Length: 30.00 cm Wing Location: 13.11 cm Stabilizer Location: 23.31 cm Vertical Tail Location: 22.00 cm Mass at Nose: 10.50 g Center of Gravity Location: 16.83 cm Neutral Point Location: 17.52 cm ESTIMATED Mass: 48.35 g Wing Loading 0.108 g/cm^2 Throwing Velocity: 20.00 km/hr Flight Angle of Attack: 7.06 degrees Stabilizer Incidence Angle: -1.18 degrees (positive upward) ESTIMATED Stall Angle: 10.00 degrees ESTIMATED Stall Velocity: 16.06 km/hr ESTIMATED Glide Angle: 4.55 degrees (positive downward) ESTIMATED CDo: 0.020 Wing Span: 44.57 cm Planform Area 445.70 cm^2 Wing Root Chord: 10.00 cm Wing Taper Ratio: 1.00 Wing Tip Chord: 10.00 cm Wing Tip Sweep Distance: 0.00 cm Wing Leading Edge Sweep Angle: 0.00 degrees Wing Aspect Ratio: 4.46 CL,alpha: 4.10 1/radian Stabilizer Span: 34.21 cm Planform Area 228.86 cm^2 Stabilizer Root Chord: 6.69 cm Stabilizer Taper Ratio: 1.00 Stabilizer Tip Chord: 6.69 cm Stabilizer Tip Sweep Distance: 4.52 cm Stabilizer Leading Edge Sweep Angle: 14.80 degrees Stabilizer Aspect Ratio: 5.11 CL,alpha: 4.21 1/radian Vertical Tail Height: 14.74 cm Planform Area 100.23 cm^2 Vertical Tail Root Chord: 8.00 cm Vertical Tail Taper Ratio: 0.70 Vertical Tail Tip Chord: 5.60 cm Vertical Tail Tip Sweep Distance: 3.95 cm Vertical Tail Leading Edge Sweep Angle: 15.00 degrees Challenge 2 Dimensions & Statistics Aery Evaluation Number: 102 Fuselage Length: 40.38 cm Wing Location: 29.79 cm Stabilizer Location: 5.08 cm Vertical Tail Location: 27.19 cm Mass at Nose: 7.29 g Center of Gravity Location: 20.66 cm Neutral Point Location: 23.72 cm ESTIMATED Mass: 44.83 g Wing Loading 0.168 g/cm^2 Throwing Velocity: 18.62 km/hr Flight Angle of Attack: 4.02 degrees Stabilizer Incidence Angle: 2.76 degrees (positive upward) ESTIMATED Stall Angle: 8.12 degrees ESTIMATED Stall Velocity: 15.45 km/hr ESTIMATED Glide Angle: 4.59 degrees (positive downward) ESTIMATED CDo: 0.032 Wing Span: 45.70 cm Planform Area 266.15 cm^2 Wing Root Chord: 7.87 cm Wing Taper Ratio: 0.48 Wing Tip Chord: 3.78 cm Wing Tip Sweep Distance: 6.54 cm Wing Leading Edge Sweep Angle: 15.98 degrees Wing Aspect Ratio: 7.85 CL,alpha: 4.70 1/radian Stabilizer Span: 54.82 cm Planform Area 325.92 cm^2 Stabilizer Root Chord: 7.12 cm Stabilizer Taper Ratio: 0.67 Stabilizer Tip Chord: 4.77 cm Stabilizer Tip Sweep Distance: 11.33 cm Stabilizer Leading Edge Sweep Angle: 22.46 degrees Stabilizer Aspect Ratio: 9.22 CL,alpha: 4.70 1/radian Vertical Tail Height: 20.48 cm Planform Area 134.49 cm^2 Vertical Tail Root Chord: 6.77 cm Vertical Tail Taper Ratio: 0.94 Vertical Tail Tip Chord: 6.36 cm Vertical Tail Tip Sweep Distance: 10.04 cm Vertical Tail Leading Edge Sweep Angle: 26.12 degrees |
Assembly
Test Data
This is the assembled glider with the clay on the nose and under the left wing for weight.
Test data
Conclusion Questions
1. Was the glider as stable as you expected? Why or why not might this be so?
I thought that my glider would not be as stable as it was. I predicted that there would be slight faults in the assembly of the glider with the gluing and when adding weight to the nose. After a couple of tests I removed some of the nose weight which made it veer to the right. Additional problems I faced was the snapping of the vertical stabilizer twice and having to re-glue it. This added to the factors affecting its stability.
2. What techniques did you use to “trim” the glider for a straight and gently descending flight?
I used clay on the nose and on the wing to manipulate the gliders decent. With more/less weight the glider was able to fly for a longer and steadier amount of time without crashing straight down or into the wall. The clay on the nose helped to keep the glider flying straight and the clay smeared on the bottom of the wing helped to keep the glider from veering to the right. It was hard to determine what the best amount of clay was, but after many test flights, I found a good balance.
3. How many test flights were required to get the glider trimmed for long distance, straight-line flight? Was this expected? Why or why not?
I needed about nine tests flights to find the right amount of weight for a stable flight. I expected that it would take a while to find because I knew that with such a small plane the slightest amount of added or removed weight makes all the difference.
1. Was the glider as stable as you expected? Why or why not might this be so?
I thought that my glider would not be as stable as it was. I predicted that there would be slight faults in the assembly of the glider with the gluing and when adding weight to the nose. After a couple of tests I removed some of the nose weight which made it veer to the right. Additional problems I faced was the snapping of the vertical stabilizer twice and having to re-glue it. This added to the factors affecting its stability.
2. What techniques did you use to “trim” the glider for a straight and gently descending flight?
I used clay on the nose and on the wing to manipulate the gliders decent. With more/less weight the glider was able to fly for a longer and steadier amount of time without crashing straight down or into the wall. The clay on the nose helped to keep the glider flying straight and the clay smeared on the bottom of the wing helped to keep the glider from veering to the right. It was hard to determine what the best amount of clay was, but after many test flights, I found a good balance.
3. How many test flights were required to get the glider trimmed for long distance, straight-line flight? Was this expected? Why or why not?
I needed about nine tests flights to find the right amount of weight for a stable flight. I expected that it would take a while to find because I knew that with such a small plane the slightest amount of added or removed weight makes all the difference.