Running head: THE BALSA GLIDER PROJECT

Balsa Glider Project

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Running head: THE BALSA GLIDER PROJECT

Balsa Glider Project
The prototype
The purpose of building this prototype was to determine how various modifications affect the
flight variations of the balsa glider. Building and flying the balsa glider model is the ideal way of
learning about airplane construction and flight. The experience of knowing that you built
something that soared through the sky is one of the satisfying feelings that most people do not
get. The balsa glider is one of the easiest models of an airplane that is easy to learn and build.
The experience introduces one to flight trimming, building techniques as well as aerodynamics.
Construction
To proceed with the project I had to acquire the essential tools and materials. I, therefore, went to
the Futon hobby store where I purchased the necessities for the project.
Tools and materials needed

A 1/16" sheet of balsa wood

A 1/8" sheet of balsa wood
A 1/32" sheet of balsa wood
Modeling knife
Modeling clay
Loctite Superglue
Ruler
Pencil
Sandpaper
Modeling clay

Description

Running head: THE BALSA GLIDER PROJECT

The main reason for using balsa wood was to make the glider weigh as less as possible. The first
element of the project was printing out the glider plan. To begin with I printed the plans to scale.
I then marked the outline plans on the balsa wood. To transfer the outline of the plans to the
wood, I gently placed the plan on the balsa wood and then traced its outline.
Using a modeling knife, I carefully cut out the parts on the wood by the plan. I was extremely
careful since the wood was somehow weak along the grain and could have thus led to
inappropriate difficulties. I used sandpaper to make the pieces into their final shapes. After
cutting out the wings, I sand the washout of two wings together so as to maintain their identical
shape. The washout served various purposes including preventing spiraling while at the same
time stabilizing the model. I then sand the surfaces, the fuselage, and the tail pieces until they
were smooth to touch. Furthermore, I sand an airfoil into the wing because the angle of attack
provided by the wings provided the plane with lift. The purpose of the airfoil shape was to
make the wing rounded along the edge at the same time widen it toward the center.
I sand the inner edges of the wing to an angle that would create dihedral when glued together.
With the wings leading edge facing away from me, I propped up a half of the wing so as to
position the wingtip at the appropriate height. I then sand the edges until they were perfectly flat.
Consequently, I glued the two wins together. I then used blocks under both wings to create
dihedral before applying glue to the inner edge of the wings. I pressed the two halves of the wing
and then removed the excess glue. Afterward, I placed a light weight on the wing near the center
joint to hold it in position. I measured the dihedrals again before making necessary stability
adjustments. Finally, I let the glue dry for several hours.

Running head: THE BALSA GLIDER PROJECT

Afterward, I assembled the plane as I closely reviewed the wing incidence about the angle of the
horizontal stabilizer. I then double checked the model with the plan to make sure every detail
was a perfect match for the other. I thinned the rear end of the fuselage so as to reduce weight.
For the last step, I balanced the plane by placing a finger on the bottom of each wing. The plane
tilted up towards the tail, and I had to add modeling clay on the nose to achieve a perfect
balance.
Flight test method
In testing the plane, I held it at shoulder level and then gently pushed it as I released it into the
air. It encountered various problems but eventually flew in a steady and smooth path.
Results
The glider flew in different directions before flying in a straight path.
The mass of the glider was 3.51g
Number of flights covered = 22
Average glide distance

= total glide distance / the number of flights covered

=572/22
= 26 meters
The glide of the slope was 1: 4.7
Therefore the angle to the horizontal was;
Tan theta= 1/ 4.7

Running head: THE BALSA GLIDER PROJECT

Theta

= 12.8 degrees

The component of the lift force was;

L cos theta = mg
L = mg/cos theta
= (0.000351kg*9.8m/s)/ cos (12.8 degrees)
=34.7mN
The Glide ratio was about 4.7,
Therefore, the drag force was;
L/D=4.7
D= L/4.7= 34.7Mn/4.7
=7.4mN
The speed was 3.7 m/s after calculations. Therefore;
The power required to keep the glider in the air was;
p= D *v
= (7.2mN*3.7m/s)
=29mW
When thrown from a height of 19ft the glider projected a distance of 83metres.

Running head: THE BALSA GLIDER PROJECT

Discussion
I encountered several problems when testing the model. At first, the plane dived out of my hand
rather than follow the gentle push to the air. I figured out that the model must have had more
weight than it was required. Therefore, I removed some of nose weight. The plane gained some
control but not to its full capacity.
Consequently, the model flew a short distance before sheering either to the right or the left. I
figured out there was a problem associated with the stabilizers. After trying various stabilizers, I
found out that the vertical stabilizer was the cause of the problem. The solution to the problem
was gently bending its back edge until the glider flew fairly straight.
Other than the problems encountered, I did some further explorations on the glider. I trimmed it
in various random shapes which led to the glider flying in various directions including even
circles. Furthermore, I noted that I needed to trim carefully the model while changing one thing
at a time if I wanted it to fly perfectly.
The flight path of the glider was barely straight, and only a small number of flights were straight.
I had to vary the position of the fuselage to optimize the glide slope.

Conclusion

Running head: THE BALSA GLIDER PROJECT

Glider activity is one of the popular branches of airplane materials for the past few years. The
activity of building is one of the main features of the contests of today. The reason behind the
situation is the attributes of the glider; easy to build as well as easy to carry. The more one
continues to build the gliders the more the experience he gains and the better the results of the
glider that he makes. The glider models are not usually used to match real-world angles,
proportions or air streams, but rather are ways of making one understand the principles behind
the physics of an airplane.