...and now for something completley different

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Member for

19 years 2 months

Posts: 546

Sorry to the moderators if this is in the wrong place, I had no idea where to put it and seeing as I use this forum the most :D (tis just a bit of fun).

At university we have been designing from scratch, our own gliders, to be catapaulted into the sky. Today was test day and ours was the winner with a flight time of...4 SECONDS!!!! :D. (although when thrown, the thing went for a good 10-15 seconds!)

Shocking day for flying, but I just thought I'd share with you, the beauty of flight ;)

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b307/wnjmurphy/DSCF1731.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b307/wnjmurphy/DSCF1732.jpg

Also for those budding aircraft designers, an image of another group demonstrating what happens if you dont have your aerofoil correctly attached to your fuselage!
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b307/wnjmurphy/DSCF1718.jpg

Original post

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 4,887

Nice stuff, we did the same thing at school many moons ago.

However, the planes where made in the science lab in the basementm where it was very warm. The actual flight was to be done in the gym which was very cold. So in the science lab my plane flew 6 or 7 seconds. Reason for that amongst other was that I had choosen a flight path over the heaters. Once in the gym it pretty much nose dived. Still managed to go further then any ofthe other planes though! :D

Member for

18 years 3 months

Posts: 1,645

Nice stuff, well done.

What are you studying at uni?

That guy in the first pic looks so much like the Billy Shannon guy from Max and Paddy! :D

Member for

18 years 6 months

Posts: 1,064

ago.

Reason for that amongst other was that I had choosen a flight path over the heaters.

Thats a bit cheeky :D ;)

Member for

19 years 2 months

Posts: 546

If theres nothing to say you can't, why not push the boundaries!

We were accused of foul play, originally the specification said approx 80% wood. We asked if we could change this, and coupled with our designs managed to sway.

You dont ask you dont get kids!

I'm studying BEng Aerospace Technology at Coventry University. Was a pile of doggy do-do until recently, its suddenly become FUN:D

Member for

19 years 4 months

Posts: 336

Gliders? Bah ;) They look pretty cool though.

At college we are building a single seater aircraft called a Hummel. Its not certified to fly in the UK yet, so hopefully we'll be the pioneers :P

Gaz

Member for

19 years 11 months

Posts: 10,160

Sorry, chaps. Big Bad Ogre time..... :(

I do have to draw the line somewhere. This isn't Commercial Aviation by any stretch of the imagination.

Off to the Models forum it goes..........

GA

Member for

19 years 2 months

Posts: 546

Cheers matey, much appreciated :D

Member for

18 years 6 months

Posts: 66

we did a similar exercise at school, little did the teacher know that had been building balsa gliders for about 5 years already, he wondered why my home spun design whupped his kit bought item, especially when he told me mine would never fly!!!. he'd never seen a parasol wing with turned up tips combined with an inverted triangular tail before. :D (come to think of it, neither had i) but i got the c of g just right (bang on the leading edge) and the c of p at 1/3 chord and she flew, and flew and flew.

all the best.

Greg

Member for

18 years 6 months

Posts: 1,114

Sorry if I've missed something, but why does your glider seem to have a propeller?

Member for

19 years 2 months

Posts: 546

We were allowed 10 seconds of propulsion using an RC electric motor.

We could use it in any amount we wanted, just no more than 10 seconds and could not be switched on via remote control.

I think just a little extra to consider, alst years groups didn't have a motor.