Plane Descriptions

The results of our plane was half-expected of the design of the plane. Though, we
wished it could fly it hopped. This hopping meant to us that our plane could fly with the
design that it had. However, the wing’s surface area in length was to small to support the
whole weight and drag of the plane. If we had increased our wing surface area it would be
a sure fact that it would be able to fly. The plane’s hopping meant the surface area
supported only that much lift but not enough to support it.
The surface area was the main problem of our plane’s inability to fly off the
ground. The airfoil design was possibly perfect in the plane itself; however, the length of
the wing was not long enough. The support of the amount of lift enough needed to make
the plane fly was not made. Without that the plane did not fly. Though it had hopped and
jumped the surface area of the wing was not large enough to ensure its airborne lift.
Mainly. we would change the plane wings surface area. This is because of the fact
that the wing’s surface area is what caused the plane to not fly. If we were to change the
surface area it might have been possible that we could be able to fly the plane. I think the
reason being for the wing is because compared to the plane the wing’s length was only
one-fourth of the plane’s fuselage length. This lead to the idea that it could not fly because
of the wing’s surface area.
We chose to design the plane with the model in the similar form of a Cessna. This
Cessna is heard to always have flown well with little air friction. However, the Cessna is a
motor-propeller which was also the design we were looking for. This design of the Cessna
proved to be very effective after it has had many different developments. Not only that but
the Cessna design proved to be very simpler to model out in Styrofoam. Simple, but
efficient, the Cessna’s Stabilizer’s in the rear end of the plane held very simply by butting
a small dent in the front side. The wing with the airfoil design could easily be put onto the
top of the Cessna instead of on the side stopping airflow on the top.
The most basic mathematical concept needed to be learned in this was angles. The
fact is, the angle plays an important role in how the plane is able to have less friction
while in a fluid. As the angle of attack of the airfoil is slightly more near ninety it is able
to have less gliding ability and confronts more friction but allows a stall (freeze). Then, if
the angle was lower, the ability of fluid friction would decrease in the airfoil allowing a
smoother flow in turn, giving a lift. Thus, the angle of attack learned from the plane well
increases your ability to be able to make the plane fly.
There were many principles that were enhanced during this project. The basic
principles were mostly Bernoulli’s Principle, lift, drag, thrust, velocity, and definitely
airfoil. These basic principles were the basics in how the plane would be able to fly.
Bernoulli’s Principle could affect it the most because it would show how the airfoil should
be designed in order to produce the lift needed. This principle is the necessity we used to
try to impute into our plane’s design. The principle helped explain in detail how the airfoil
should work because that would be a good lift. The other terms of physics basically details
the plane’s directions of force. These forces acting upon the plane give the plane what is
needed to make it fly. If there was too much drag the plane would be unable to fly. But, if
there was a correct and specific amount of lift,drag, and thrust, the plane would be able to
fly. Those terms help any aviator to know how each plane is able or unable to fly. If not
enough drag it cannot produce the amount of speed to overcome the drag. If not enough
lift, there can be no take off into the air. The physics required in the airplane experiment is
very dense because of the different functions in how a plane works. If one were to fall or
be misplaced, the whole plane would not work.
For any student, we would want them to thoroughly understand the physics behind
the airplane and how it flies. The most basic thing and fact a student would need to learn
is the forces acting on the plane at all times. Thrust, drag, and lift, must be understood by
the student. Once learned, the student can start to understand Bernoulli’s Principle. The
details of Bernoulli’s Principle is very simple for anyone to understand. The fact is, the top
of a wing must be curved unlike the straight bottom, which forces the air on top to move
faster than on the bottom. For the student to understand we must make sure he understand
an example. Our advice for a student is to make sure the airplane’s wing’s airfoil is able to
support the plane’s fuselage because it is the most important thing that will make sure
your plane will fly.

16 in

1/5 in
2

Total surface area about 21 inches²

 By:Rajith Jayaratne
Andrew Ho
weee!! Spencer Lee