The Science of Flight

Paper Airplane Project Glider Design Testing Instructions

Follow the instructions and guidance below to complete the design testing. Download the Paper Airplane Project Glider Testing Worksheet found in Paper Airplane Project in the Course Specific Information Module to document your testing data and results.

Testing Criteria (based on competition rules):

  1. The glider’s materials will be restricted to a single, complete sheet of 8.5 x 11-inch standard weight copy paper (20 lb bond / standard A4 format – mass = 4.5 grams).
  2. The glider will be modified by folding only – no addition of other materials, ripping, gluing or cutting.
  3. The glider must be launched from ground level.
  4. The distance design must be launched by one person throwing the aircraft unaided from behind a straight launch line marked on the ground.
  5. The duration design must be launched by one person throwing the aircraft unaided from a reasonably static position with both feet firmly on the ground.

Other Testing Considerations

To best mimic the conditions in a glider competition venue (an aircraft hangar), do your best to identify an appropriate and accessible testing area to achieve large heights and distances with the glider. A large indoor location with high ceilings is ideal (like a gymnasium, aircraft hangar, etc.). Do not perform tests indoors in locations that do not allow the glider to achieve its maximum potential flight distance or duration (e.g., hallway, living room, garage, etc). Since outdoors will likely be your best option, perform tests in large, open field (like a park or ball field) on a dry day with minimal wind, if possible. Plan ahead by consulting the weather forecast and choosing an optimal weather day.

If possible, recruit an assistant to help with the testing, and to also video or take pictures of some of the test flights to include with your submission of the testing results.

Testing Materials

  1. 5 x 11-inch standard weight copy paper (standard weight = 10 pounds per 1000 sheets)
  2. A tool to measure flight distance (meter or yard sticks, tape measure, etc.)
  3. A timer of any kind, accurate to 1 second
  4. Testing worksheet
  5. A pen and a pencil
  6. A small ruler for measuring glider wing dimensions

Testing Procedure

Review the steps carefully before beginning your testing, and think about how you will carry out these steps to minimize uncertainty and error.

Testing Part 1

  1. In the Paper Airplane Project Glider Testing Worksheet, document the name of each design, the hypothesis for each design, and the description for the method for imparting thrust for each design to maximize its performance (distance or flight duration) as appropriate (Note: these items were completed in part 1 of the project).
  2. For each design, build three test gliders per the stated restrictions identified in Testing Criteria and Other Testing Considerations. Number each test glider with a pen, minimizing the amount of ink used.
  3. Devise and document the method* you will use to measure and calculate the total wing area for each design. Then, using one of the test gliders for each design, calculate and record the total wing area in square centimeters (cm2) in the appropriate table in the testing worksheet. The glider mass, equal to a single sheet of standard copy paper, is already recorded in the testing worksheet.

*To calculate the total wing area, you must devise a method for how to measure (using the small ruler) and then calculate the area of the wings based on their geometric shape. You may need to do some research on the geometry of common shapes and area calculations, and consult with your instructor or classmates to confirm the correctness of your procedure. Note: 1 in2 = 6.45 cm2

  1. Based on the measurements in 3 and 4, use the equation for wing loading (refer back to the Module 1 Lesson) to calculate the wing loading for each design, in g/cm2. Record the wing loading in the appropriate table in the testing worksheet.

Testing Part 2

  1. Perform the tests for each design at your determined test site.
  2. Before collecting any data, develop some skill and consistency by doing some preliminary trial flights with one of the test planes for each design, abiding by the testing criteria, and using the hypothesized methods for imparting thrust. You may find that the thrust methods need to be “tweaked” a little for optimization of the flight. Record some comments and observations for this preliminary testing.
  3. Test the distance design glider using the following steps:
  4. Launch the test glider abiding by the testing criteria, utilizing the desired thrust method.
  5. Measure and record the distance flown, measured as the straight line from the launch line to the landing point (point where it strikes the ground), to the nearest tenth (one decimal place). You may measure the distance in any units, but you must convert the distance to meters (m), and record the distance in meters in the worksheet. Conversions: 1 foot = 0.305 meters; 1 inch = 0.0254 meters.
  6. Make and record some observations of the flight characteristics of the test glider during flight (relative speed, lift, drag, stability, control, center of gravity, etc.).
  7. Repeat steps A-C until you have five trials for each of the three distance test gliders.
  8. Test the duration design glider using the following steps:
  9. Launch the test glider abiding by the testing criteria, utilizing the desired thrust method, while simultaneously timing the flight duration.
  10. Start the timer when the glider is released, and stop the timer when the glider hits the ground.
  11. Record the flight time in the worksheet to the nearest whole second.
  12. Make and record some observations of the flight characteristics of the test glider during flight (speed, lift, drag, stability, control, center of gravity, etc.).
  13. Repeat steps A-D until you have five trials for each of the three duration test gliders.

Calculations and Graphs

  1. Calculate and record the average flight distance for each of the distance design test gliders to the nearest tenth of a meter (m).
  2. Calculate and record the average flight time for each of the duration design test gliders to the nearest tenth of a second.
  3. Create a graph (by hand or on the computer) of the average distance test glider for each of the distance design test gliders. Graph average distance on the y-axis, and test glider number on the x-axis.
  4. Create a graph (by hand or on the computer) of the average flight time vs. test glider for each of the flight duration design test gliders. Graph average flight time on the y-axis, and test glider number on the x-axis.
  5. Insert the graphs and any photos or videos taken of the test flights on the last page of the worksheet. (Hint: If you made the graphs by hand, take a picture of them, save them as an image file, and import them into the document.)

Variability, Uncertainty and Error

Record all possible sources of variability, uncertainty, and/or error in your testing in the worksheet. (consider materials, testing environment, and testing methods).

Results and Conclusions

In the worksheet, for each design, state which test plane performed the best along with the average distance or time of that plane. Then, summarize some results and conclusions based on the data and calculations from the testing of each design. Include some comparison of the flight characteristics of the best performing glider of each design to the other test gliders of the same design. Discuss the degree of trust you have in the results based on the variability, uncertainty, and error in the testing. Also include an evaluation of the correctness of the hypotheses for each plane design, providing justification for the evaluation based on the testing.

 By the last day of Module 7, upload your completed worksheet for scoring by the instructor to Module 7 Paper Airplane Project Part 2 – Glider Design Testing Submission.