Elastic Launched Glider Institute 2012

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