September 2012

North Carolina
Science Olympiad
Coaches Clinic
Elastic Launched
Gliders
Elastic Launched Gliders
1. DESCRIPTION
2. EVENT PARAMATERS
3. CONSTRUCTION
SPECIFICATIONS
4. THE COMPETITION
5. SCORING
6. TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS

1. DESCRIPTION:
Teams (of up to two) will construct and test
elastic launch gliders
prior to the tournament
to achieve
maximum flight times.
2. EVENT PARAMETERS:
Teams bring up to 2 gliders and their flight logs.
Teams may bring any tools they need.
Event supervisor must provide all measurement
tools and timers.
3. CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATIONS:
a. Design:
b. Materials:
c. Mass:
d. Identification:
e. Construction:
f. Power:
3.a. Design:
Gliders may be constructed from:
Published plans
Commercial kits
Students Original Design
3.b. Materials:
No pre glued joints or pre-
covered surfaces.
No Metal on functional
components of the glider

3.b. Materials:
Super glues, old fashioned model glue (green tube) can
be used as a glue to fasten pieces together.

Metal wires for motor hooks.

Plastic is acceptable for connecting tubes, film covering
and O-rings.

Composites of the basic materials (wood, glue, paper,
plastic film) meet the rule.

Tape may be used because they are a composite or
combination of glue and paper or glue and plastic film.
3.c. Mass:
Total mass of the glider
throughout the flight, must
be less than 10 grams.


3.d. : Identification


Each glider must be labeled so
that the event supervisor can
easily identify to which team it
belongs.
3.e. Construction:
Wingspan may not exceed 30 cm at any time.
The nose of the fuselage must be blunt, such
that if inserted into a lip balm cap it will not touch
the end of the cap. (See the rules)

3.f. Power:


The launch handle may be of
any safe configuration.
4. THE COMPETITION:
a. Event Location:
b. Spectators:
c. Flight logs:
d. Practice Flights:
e. Multiple Flights:
f. Self-check Inspection
g. Check in and Flights:
h. Flights:
i. Flight Period:
j. Selection of Glider:
k. Timing:
l. Timers:
m. Aiming Flights:
n. Concurrent Flights:
o. Steering / Collision:
4.a. Event Location:
The event must be held indoors.

Tournament officials must announce the room
dimensions in advance of the competition.
(approximate length, width and ceiling height)

Tournament Officials and Event Supervisors are
urged to minimize the effects of environmental
factors such as air currents (e.g., doors, fans) The
larger the space the less of an issue this is.
4.b. Spectators:
Once competitors enter the cordoned off competition
area to trim, practice, or compete, they must wear
goggles and must not receive outside assistance,
materials or communication.

Teams violating this rule will ranked below all other
teams.

There must be a separate area designated for
spectators.
4.c. Flight Logs:
Each team must present flight log of recorded data during
inspection.
Data must include at least 4 parameters for at least ten (10)
test flights prior to the competition.
The required parameters are:
1) Estimated/recorded peak flight height after launch,
2) Estimated length of the elastic launch loop in relaxed
state,
3) flight time.
The team must choose 1 additional data parameters beyond
those required. (e.g. orbit diameter, cross section of
elastic launch loop, height at transition to glide pattern,
launch angle, etc.)
4.d. Practice Flights:
At the Event Supervisors discretion, practice
flights may occur throughout the event but
must yield to any official flight.
Multiple practice flights may occur at the same
time.
No trim (practice) flights will be permitted in the
last half-hour of the event.
4.e. Multiple Flights:
Multiple gliders may fly at once according to
Supervisors direction.
4.f. Self-check Inspection:
A self-check inspection station may be made
available to competitors for checking their
glider and launch handle prior to being
checked by the judges.
4.g. Check in and Flights:
Team member must present their event materials
(glider, catapult, and logs) for inspections
immediately prior to a teams flights.

Event supervisors are strongly urged to return flight
logs after inspection.

Timers will follow teams as they prepare and launch
their gliders.
4.h. Flights:
Teams may make up to a total of 5 official
flights using one or two gliders or Launch
handles
4i. Flight Period:
Teams will be given an 6 minute "Flight Period", starting when their
first flight after check in (trim or official) begins.
Any flight beginning within the 6-minute period will be permitted to
fly to completion.
Competitors may make adjustments/repairs/trim flights during their
official 6-minute period.
Teams must declare before any launches during their Flight Period
whether it is an official flight or trim flight.
If teams do not indicate the flight type before the launch, it must be
considered official.
Teams must not be given extra time to recover or repair their
gliders.
4.j. Selection of Glider:
The team may select any previously and
currently approved glider or launch handle
for each official flight.
4.k. Timing:
The timing official will measure and record the
Time Aloft in hundredths of a second for
each flight.

Time Aloft for each flight starts when the glider
leaves the competitors hand and stops
when any part of the glider touches the floor
or stops moving due to an obstruction.
4.l. Timers:
Event supervisors are strongly encouraged to
utilize 3 independent timers on all flights.

The middle value of the 3 timers will be the
officially recorded time to the nearest 0.01s.
Not the average!!!
4.m. Aiming Flights:
Gliders must only be launched while aimed at any
point on the ceiling.

Not aimed for the walls, spectators, low obstructions,
etc.
4.n. Concurrent Flights:
The Event Supervisor may permit other official flights
during the flight of another teams glider.

Timers are allowed to delay a launch to avoid a
possible obstruction.
4.m. Steering / Collision:
Competitors must not steer the glider during
flight.
In the unlikely event of a collision with another
glider, a team may elect a re-flight.
The decision to re-fly may be made after the
glider lands.
The six-minute period does not apply to such a
flight.
5. SCORING:
The base score is the sum of the teams two longest
flight times.
Ties will be broken by the longest non-scored flight
time.
Teams with incomplete flight logs must have 10%
of their flight time deducted from each flight.

Teams without flight logs must have 30% of their
flight time deducted from each flight.
5. SCORING:

Teams that violate a rule under
Construction or The
Competition must be ranked
after all teams that do not
violate those rules.
Tips and Suggestions
This glider must be able to be launched. It
will need to be sturdy. There is a big JOLT
when it is launched.
You need to be able to adjust the wings to
get the launch and glide to work. Use CA
glue (super glue) so you can make this
adjustment on the horizontal stab, (the little
wing at the rear. Look up Incidence for a
good description of this subject.
Tips and Suggestions
Pre Stretch all the rubber bands you will use
for your Launch
Inspect the rubber to be sure there are no
nicks or tares.
Know how to hold the glider----this is tricky.
Start slow and build up to a full shot.
You may want to hold behind the wing from the
top to keep from knocking off the tail
Tips and Suggestions
You want your plane to circle to the ceiling so
to do that you will want to angle the plane so
as it wants to climb and loop, it makes an
upward circle to the ceiling.
Watch out for hitting the handle with the
plane.
Watch out for hitting your thumb with the
plane
You want to tilt the plane not at straight
vertical.
Tips and Suggestions
You want to twist the glider away from your
hand and turn your hand to match so the pull
of the launch is in a direct line.
There is an in depth article on this in the AMA
on how to launch a free flight glider.
http://legacy.amaglider.com/assets/general-
technical-documents/freeflight-trimming
Tips and Suggestions
Build early and test a lot.
Use small amounts of glue.
Be prepared to make repairs on site.
Dont forget to label your gliders.
Bring at least two, just in case one gets
stepped on or hung in the rafters.
Bring two launchers and extra rubber
Tips and Suggestions
Test a lot of rubber.

Pre stretch all rubber bands to three times their
length at least.

Color the tips of the rubber bands is you have more
than one size, it make them easy to identify.

Learn to tie knots in rubber bands.
Tools
Cutting Mat
Hobby knifes (lots of blades)
Straight edge
Emory boards
Clear Packaging tape
Brush and small cup
Super glue
Fine tip permanent marker