| Every flying thing, whether it's an airplane, spacecraft, | | | | elbow, make sure the rubber band comes from the |
| soccer ball, or flying kid, experiences four aerodynamic | | | | underside of the cups and release. The cups should |
| primary forces: lift, weight, thrust and drag. | | | | rotate quickly and take air, then gracefully descend |
| An airplane uses a propeller or jet engine to generate | | | | down for a light landing. Try making one with four cups. |
| thrust. The wings to create lift. The smooth, pencil-thin | | | | Hot Air Balloons: Shake out a garbage bag to its |
| shape minimizes drag. And the molecules that make | | | | maximum capacity. Tape (use duct or masking tape) |
| up the airplane attributes to the weight. | | | | the open end almost-closed... you still want a small hole |
| Let's find out what are all the parts of an airplane for. | | | | the size of the hair dryer nozzle. |
| You'll need to get a cheap balsa wood airplane for this | | | | Use the hair dryer to inflate the bag and heat the air |
| next part - check out your local drug store or toy | | | | inside (make sure you don't melt the bag). |
| store. I've even found them in grocery stores for about | | | | When the air is at its warmest, release your hold on |
| $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 greater |
| flying just the large wing (no body). Somersaults! | | | | the temperature difference between the bag's air and |
| Now slide the large wing into the body and fly (fewer | | | | 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 the |
| Now add a horizontal stabilizer (elevator) tail, and when | | | | four corners of a tissue. Attach a stick, a small wad of |
| you throw it, add a slight curve so the plane "fishtails" in | | | | stones wrapped in another tissue, a pinecone, etc. to |
| the air (like a car)... but did you notice that there are no | | | | the centers of the string. Practice dropping these from |
| more somersaults? | | | | the balcony and see which falls slowest with which |
| Add the vertical tail (rudder) and see how it now | | | | 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. Place |
| clip? | | | | a piece of tape across one end of a straw and gently |
| Let's make more things that demonstrate these flying | | | | secure one ring to the tape. Repeat on the other end |
| ideas! | | | | with remaining ring. Make sure the two rings are |
| Helicopters: Cut out a paper rectangle 5 by 2 inches. | | | | concentric (you can see through both like a telescope). |
| Cut lengthwise down the strip, stopping about an inch | | | | Throw it small-end-first! |
| before the end. Tape this uncut inch to the end tip of a | | | | Free Form Machines: Make an obstacle course with |
| 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. Make | | | | -Go over and under a suspended length of string |
| a quick slingshot launcher by looping a rubber band to | | | | -Make it through a hula hoop suspended vertically or |
| 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" paper, |
| thumb and hold your arm out horizontally straight, palm | | | | or two 8.5x11" papers taped together to make an |
| up. Drape the remainder of the chain along your arm. | | | | 11x17") from the ceiling for a 'dogfight' to earn points if |
| Place the taped butterfly cups at the free end (near | | | | you tag one |
| your shoulder) and slowly wind the rubber bands | | | | -Shoot through the basketball hoop, and dive into a |
| around the middle section of the cups. When you wind | | | | basket. |
| near the end, stop, stretch the chain back toward your | | | | |