newbie doing research
10-27-2008 | 09:00 AM
#26
RE: newbie doing research
I would bet that the local club might even come up with some used radio gear for the students to use and save your project some funds. Experienced pilots seem to always have obsolete/used but airworthy equipment laying about that would be just fine for your purpose. They would probably even offer a class on installation of same to your students.
10-27-2008 | 09:57 AM
#27
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From: Ignacio,
CO
RE: newbie doing research
You might find this website has some interesting ideas. http://www.rcgroups.com/school-proje...petitions-296/
10-27-2008 | 10:07 AM
#28
RE: newbie doing research
This is probably too easy, but when I was in junior high, our art teacher had all of us build small balsa airplanes, we basically used 1/8 or 1/4 balsa, sanded/cut down the leading and trailing edge to make an airfoil, and add dehidriel and tails, He helped us make the first one's then we were allowed to experment, I remeber I probably made 10 of them, not all of them flew well, but it was a blast.
I hope what I just said made sense.
Jon
I hope what I just said made sense.
Jon
10-27-2008 | 02:48 PM
#29
RE: newbie doing research
I still say even trying to do RC is just going to discurage them. It's tough enough flying a well designed and properly setup ARF in a circle 10 or 12 times and landing successfully as a beginner. It will be nearly impossible with an amateur design for which no setup info exists, even if an expert pilot is at the controls.
A possible approach is to go the glider or rubber band plane route, and offer some design choices. 3-4 different fuselages, tail designs, props, and wing designs give them plenty to experiment with and learn from. Everyone's plane will turn out differently and will perform differently. The important thing is they will all be using proven designs that will work, so all of them will fly at least a little bit.
A possible approach is to go the glider or rubber band plane route, and offer some design choices. 3-4 different fuselages, tail designs, props, and wing designs give them plenty to experiment with and learn from. Everyone's plane will turn out differently and will perform differently. The important thing is they will all be using proven designs that will work, so all of them will fly at least a little bit.
10-28-2008 | 05:35 AM
#30
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From: Poland,
OH
RE: newbie doing research
After thinking about it I think some other posters are correct.
Designing a plane and building from scratch is quite alot and likely too much to ask of an average high school student.
Building a plane from a kit alone is a tremendous amount of work.
I suggest building from a kit.
A more realistic design and build from scratch project is rockets.
You can have catagories like highest altitude, fastest, perhaps and egg lift. There are altimeters for even the smallest rockets that can measure altitude and acceleration. (I fly high power rockets along with my RC hobby)There is even software thet you can plug your design into and do a test flight. (Rocsim)
Designing a plane and building from scratch is quite alot and likely too much to ask of an average high school student.
Building a plane from a kit alone is a tremendous amount of work.
I suggest building from a kit.
A more realistic design and build from scratch project is rockets.
You can have catagories like highest altitude, fastest, perhaps and egg lift. There are altimeters for even the smallest rockets that can measure altitude and acceleration. (I fly high power rockets along with my RC hobby)There is even software thet you can plug your design into and do a test flight. (Rocsim)
10-30-2008 | 12:01 PM
#31
RE: newbie doing research
ORIGINAL: alvinlim34
I've set up the project like the X-Prize, but with different categories.
1) move 10kg cargo a distance of 10m as quickly as possible (probably need to lower the mass)
2) race to 100m (almost) straight up (fastest time wins, not head-to-head) (probably need to lower it to 25 or 50m)
3) obstacle course IF we can figure out control issues
4) fastest combined time wins the 'all-around' competition.
Is this asking too much for one craft to do? too much to ask high school kids to do?
Some of these kids have never been challenged and held accountable for anything. I'm hoping that challenging them with something that appears impossible in their eyes and dragging them (if need be) through the process to show them they can do it. By putting them in teams where other people are helping with the work and are depending on them will help steer at least one student away from the Dark Side.
Sorry, this isn't the place for that kind of stuff, but it feels better having put it out there.
I've set up the project like the X-Prize, but with different categories.
1) move 10kg cargo a distance of 10m as quickly as possible (probably need to lower the mass)
2) race to 100m (almost) straight up (fastest time wins, not head-to-head) (probably need to lower it to 25 or 50m)
3) obstacle course IF we can figure out control issues
4) fastest combined time wins the 'all-around' competition.
Is this asking too much for one craft to do? too much to ask high school kids to do?
Some of these kids have never been challenged and held accountable for anything. I'm hoping that challenging them with something that appears impossible in their eyes and dragging them (if need be) through the process to show them they can do it. By putting them in teams where other people are helping with the work and are depending on them will help steer at least one student away from the Dark Side.
Sorry, this isn't the place for that kind of stuff, but it feels better having put it out there.
Yes, moving 10 Kg cargo is too much to ask for any model airplane.
Reference: The limit of AMA for the weight of models is 55 pounds, and the weight of a regular 0.40 sport or trainer model is around 5 pounds, and it only can carry a small camera.
http://www.modelaircraft.org/PDF-files/105.pdf
Suggestion: Reverse engineering on any simple commercial kit, free flight or radio control. Free flight needs lots of open spaces, unless you go to micro size and fly inside a gym. RC needs time for a pilot to be trained and it is much more expensive. FF will teach much more trimming techniques and aerodynamics to your students.
For free flight information, check:
http://pensacolafreeflight.org/pageD...p?pageid=13147
Regards!
