AEROLUTION © Mark Adams 2022 A Journey through aircraft development
Flight has often been taught piecemeal using illustrations that draw on aspects of science yet fail to relate to the simple gliders we give to children to play with and explore. Gliders often look like real planes, are not particularly adjustable, bear little relation to other products in a sequance . . in fact there is no established sequence - until now. Mark Adams, Designer, Teacher and Aero enthusiast has such a proposal and it extends from a decade of using gliders for youngsters who learn indeopendently, critically thinking and through trial and error. Just as we all used to do many years ago . . .
AEROLUTION proposes a narrative, a sequantial logic behind aircraft anatomy formats and features. It could never be the definitive truth but it's a starting point for discussion. Why did the early pioneers of flight adopt the formats we now know and accept as standard? Could there be alternative ways of achieving the same result - better ways?
In order to explore this we need to begin with concepts that do not LOOK like aircraft. The simple Square.
A surface moving through a column of air because of gravity. Each and every step can be experienced tested and questionned by the learner. Everything is demonstrable. No confusion with afster or slower air and curved surfaces that are not exemplified by the gliders that we actually fly. Just the basics. Newton's third law of motion. Every force has an equal and opposite reaction. The basics - let's start there.
You will need . . .
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Aerolution kit - available in bulk packs for schools/clubs or as A4 packs for individuals
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Gravity Launcher - sorry!; you do need access to one of these - not a catapult or hand launch; you need to launch repeatedly in the same direction with the same acceleration. You will find that in a well organised 'flight line' you can launch as many gliders per minute safely as hand throwing with the advantage that the gliders go where you wamnt them and not where you dont!!
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Purchase a Launcher from our website or contact us or your local affiliated Aeromodelling Club to arrange a loan.
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If you intend to deliver Aerolution to groups and to access an achievement scheme you need to attend an acceredited training session or book an accredited trainer to run your session.
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The 5 AEROLUTION achievements combine to gain an Aerolution Postcard for access to subsequent gliders in the range, further Aeroschool UK resources and access to our national challenges.
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You need a room Indoors at least 8M x 4M with suitable tables and seating for your group with mains power for cool melt glue guns and bins for scraps.
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Catch screen - typically a textile video projection screen, bed sheet or butterfly gauze to catch the gliders without damage or changing their trim settings
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Balancing Jigs - one per 4 participants
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Cool melt glue gun and sticks
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Sellotape / equivalent
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Coloured pens and pencils
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Slow Motion camera (not essential but it makes scrutiny of the flight path much more accessible)
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Projection screen to show recorded flights
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A4 Handout instruction sheets
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CREST award achievement sheets (if entering)
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Achievement scheme stickers and postcards
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Scissors
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Scraps of card
Assembling and Flying the 5 AEROLUTION kits
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Assembly details differ slightluy from glider to glider
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Here are the generic instructions:
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Gently break the glider from the card frame without disturbing the other gliders
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Carefully assemble as per the instructions without bending or creasing any of the surfaces
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Do not apply any trim to the surfaces at this point
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Check and mark the Centre of Gravity of your glider
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Launch from the Gravity Launcher set at half thrust in the first instance.
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Observe the flight, if necessary using a slow-motion camera (available on most smart phones/tablets etc) Daylight is needed especially where LED lights are dominant in an indoor room. The slow motion will detect and enhance LED light 'flicker' which can be a distraction and quite possibly be uncomfortable to watch depending on medical conditions. (See Risk Assessment)
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Make adjustments to correct for level flight noting the positions of the centre of gravity and centre of lift.
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Discuss with peers how this can be achieved. Compare and contrast actions taken to achieve a desired result.
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Having set for level flight Launch with full acceleration
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Now opt for a 'flight path' to achieve and repeat the trimm process to achieve the flight envelope. As you work through the various formats; note that not all formats will be able to perform all maneuvers and this is worthy of discussion. Not all will fly as far or be as easy to adjust. Use the A4 evaluation sheet to note your findings -
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Here are some maneuvers you might like to try: You are welcome to modify your glider to perform these but WARNING: they may never again be capable of level flight afterwards! If you wish to develop more ideas ask your tutor for spare parts from the resources box. We want you to be creative as you can.
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hit the target
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Perform a loop
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roll
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face plant
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longest flight
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A-Symmetrical glider level flight
11. Using parts from the shared resource design and make your own creations and try to apply what you have learned about centre of gravity and centre of lift and flight envelope.
Aeroschool UK Intermediate Project Kits
Having achieved your Aerolution Badge we have a number of gliders for you that explore various aspects of aircraft construction and format and lead on eventually to designing RC aircraft for a national challenge.
Multiwing
Explores a variety of wing shapes of a standard wing area
Aerodelta
Split your delta wing into more parts to explore performance
Payload Delta
Explore the relationshoip between wing area (wing loading) and payload weight
Aerocurve
Compare a curved wing to a flat one of identical shape and size
Aeroscale
Two scale gliders; one twice the size of the other are compared in flight to learn how doubling a dimensions quadruples the area and therefore lift.
Aerodrag
Two gliders of identical shape and weight but made from different materials, one thin the other thicker - to show the effect of parasitic drag on an airframe.
Aeroschool UK Intermediate Design Challenges
Aerobeast
Design your own beast flavoured glider
Aeroscale #2
Design your own scale aircraft
