Make: Planes, Gliders, and Paper Rockets
by Rick Schertle and James Floyd Kelly
Copyright 2016 Rick Schertle and James Floyd Kelly. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
Published by Maker Media, Inc. , 1160 Battery Street East, Suite 125, San Francisco, CA 94111.
Maker Media books may be purchased for educational, business, or sales promotional use. Online editions are also available for most titles (http://safaribooksonline.com). For more information, contact our corporate/institutional sales department: 800-998-9938 or corporate@oreilly.com .
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- November 2015: First Edition
Revision History for the First Edition
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Make:, Maker Shed, and Maker Faire are registered trademarks of Maker Media, Inc. The Maker Media logo is a trademark of Maker Media, Inc. Make: Planes, Gliders, and Paper Rockets and related trade dress are trademarks of Maker Media, Inc.
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Preface
Welcome to the first in our series of maker books: Planes, Gliders, and Paper Rockets: Simple Flying Things Anyone Can MakeKites and Copters, Too! We are so excited to be creating this series of books for Maker Media, and it is our hope that readers (young and old) will find the subject matter and projects in each book inspirational and motivating.
Making things is fun! Students dont need to tell you thatyou (as a teacher or parent) can just see the smiles on their faces as they cut, glue, tighten, and tape. Not only that, making things allows students to continue to learn new skills and develop a deeper understanding of the world around them. But as parents and teachers, sometimes thinking about how things in our great big world work and how best to teach these concepts can be a little overwhelming. It often feels like there is just so much to learn and questions related to the topic we wish to explore begin to appear:
- Where do I start and how do I start with a particular topic?
- What is important in grasping the basics of a topic and what is not important?
- What activities or tasks can I have a student perform that will make comprehending a topic easier and faster?
- What tools and supplies will I need on hand and in what quantities to ensure all students are engaged?
Hands-on activities have long been known to be successful when teaching new topics, and teachers and parents know that students are more likely to pay attention and retain new knowledge when their hands are as engaged as their eyes and ears. And for that reason, this book series was created.
This series of books will provide parents and teachers with a fun mix of projects, discussion materials, instructions, and subjects for deeper investigation. Our goal is to help you spend more time learning and experimenting and less time planning and preparing the lessons you wish to teach. Youll find lists of required tools and supplies in one place for all of the books projects. Well provide detailed instructions for projects (including photos), downloads of PDF templates for specific steps, and videos of several projects in operation. And finally, we will provide discussion material, questions, and suggestions for challenges you can present to your students for taking projects to the next level.
From the start, we wanted to create a book series that we wish our teachers and parents would have had access to when we were students. We hope weve been successful in that endeavor and that you enjoy the series, and we welcome your questions, comments, and suggestions. If you have ideas for additional book topics or suggestions for improving the series, please let us know.
Overview
Here you will find a short summary of all the projects found in the book. More detailed coverage that includes step-by-step instructions and a suggested structure for opening a discussion and moving it in the direction of a particular hands-on project will all be provided in the individual chapters of the book, which are each dedicated to a specific theme or subject. Keep in mind that you dont have to perform these projects in the order we provide them. Pick the ones you need, skip the ones your children or students arent ready for or youre not yet prepared to tackle, and have fun!
Chapter 1, Helicopters
Theres just something really fun and cool about helicoptersmaybe its the way they can just hover there, staying in one place unlike airplanes and other flying contraptions. Studying helicopters opens up a wide range of discussion topics: where are their wings, for example? Examining helicopters also means looking into airflow, gravity, torque, power, and force, just to mention a few. In this chapter, youll build a simple paper catapult helicopter that flutters down after being shot into the air, and then youll make a pull-cord stick helicopter that achieves lift by pulling a cord to get its wings spinning fast.
Chapter 2, Rockets
What book on things that fly would be complete without a chapter on rockets? Definitely not this one! Everyone loves rockets, and the projects in this chapter deliver a number of hands-on activities that are sure to ignite an interest in space, astronauts, satellites, and obviously, the Universe. Well also discuss topics like ballistics, pressure, and gravity. Youll build a low-pressure launcher and rocket, and when youre ready to go higher, a high-pressure launcher and rocket. These projects work well with individuals, but are perfect for groups. Whats more, the rockets and launchers you build can be used over and over again.
Chapter 3, Airplanes and Gliders
Sure you can buy a rubber band and propeller airplane in the stores, but thats not as fun as making your own! Youll find complete instructions for a super easy to build airplane that will amaze you with its flight capabilities, as you also learn about balance and airflow. And how much fun will it be to combine two of this books subjects into one project: a rocket glider! The rocket goes up, wings pop out, and the whole thing glides back down. This one is guaranteed to impress.
Chapter 4, Rockets Revisited
Were not done with rockets, and hopefully youre not either! There are so many more rocket projects for your considerationa rocket that bounces off the ground when it returns from its launch and even a rocket with its own parachute. And while the paper and tape rockets are popular (and youll discover steps to build a paper and tape rocket building stand in this chapter as well), youre going to love the foam rocket option that is more durable with different flight characteristics.