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Future Aviation Events

Posted: March 1st, 2012, 8:32 pm
by chalker7
Specifically, Elastic Launch Glider. Here is a video of the equivalent in AMA to get an idea of what we're talking about.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5iXgye- ... re=related

Re: Future Aviation Events

Posted: March 2nd, 2012, 12:08 pm
by jander14indoor
First question, while I'm thinking about it, I agree with the blunt tip on the fuse, but am worried a dime as the reference implies something 2D, where what I think we want is a hemisphere.

Jeff Anderson
Livonia, MI

Re: Future Aviation Events

Posted: March 2nd, 2012, 12:15 pm
by chalker7
jander14indoor wrote:First question, while I'm thinking about it, I agree with the blunt tip on the fuse, but am worried a dime as the reference implies something 2D, where what I think we want is a hemisphere.

Jeff Anderson
Livonia, MI
That's probably true. Do you (or anyone else for that matter) have a suggestion for an easy way to measure hemispherical blunt tips? We used a 2L bottle cap for bottle rockets before (by saying the tip could not touch the flat surface if laid atop the end), but that would be way too big for these.

Re: Future Aviation Events

Posted: March 2nd, 2012, 1:51 pm
by illusionist
Perhaps a thimble? The bottle cap solution was pretty awesome by the way, it's both very accessible and works rather well!

Anyway, on the topic of student-made propellers, can you leave it open in the rules that teams may use a pre-built propeller as well? Putting myself in the shoes of a new team or inexperienced students, it would be rather difficult to build a custom propeller. I've done Wright Stuff/Helicopters for a while, so I would be absolutely excited about building my own propeller, but others might not.

Btw, do these gliders require more height or a larger environment than helicopters or planes?

Re: Future Aviation Events

Posted: March 2nd, 2012, 2:14 pm
by chalker
illusionist wrote:The bottle cap solution was pretty awesome by the way, it's both very accessible and works rather well!
Not to toot my own horn (but I will;), I came up with that idea in a total 'epiphany' moment...you would be amazed by the number of other things we were trying to put in the rules first and were struggling with... it's really hard to easily characterize something as being a certain level of 'blunt'.

Re: Future Aviation Events

Posted: March 2nd, 2012, 3:30 pm
by baker
chalker7 wrote:Specifically, Elastic Launch Glider. Here is a video of the equivalent in AMA to get an idea of what we're talking about.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5iXgye- ... re=related
Is this to be an indoor or an outdoor event as the video shows. If outside it is usually anywhere between -7 to 28 degrees F when NYS has their competitions.

Re: Future Aviation Events

Posted: March 2nd, 2012, 4:19 pm
by chalker7
baker wrote:
chalker7 wrote:Specifically, Elastic Launch Glider. Here is a video of the equivalent in AMA to get an idea of what we're talking about.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5iXgye- ... re=related
Is this to be an indoor or an outdoor event as the video shows. If outside it is usually anywhere between -7 to 28 degrees F when NYS has their competitions.
Definitely indoors. I just couldn't find a high quality video of the indoor equivalent (although I'm sure they exist somewhere)

Re: Future Aviation Events

Posted: March 2nd, 2012, 5:06 pm
by illusionist
In order to withstand the force of launch, do the wings need to be solid balsa?

I know I should focus on this year, but just some initial questions pooped up.

Re: Future Aviation Events

Posted: March 2nd, 2012, 5:19 pm
by chalker7
illusionist wrote:In order to withstand the force of launch, do the wings need to be solid balsa?

I know I should focus on this year, but just some initial questions pooped up.
Lots of people have successfully made them out of foam (meat trays from the grocery store and the like)

Re: Future Aviation Events

Posted: March 8th, 2012, 9:41 am
by squiressci0
is there a picture somewhere to figure out what the launching device looks like and how/where it is attached to glider for launch? New to SO and been given this to enter as a trial in two weeks - where to start? :o