YESCI 506 - Float: The Physics of Flight (Age 12-18)

Take an experiential journey by building your own ultralight rubber-band powered airplane. Learn the principles of physics that allow these crafts to seemingly defy gravity. Use high tech materials such as mylar combined with hand shaped balsa to craft a perfect plane. The best designs in the world can weigh less than a penny and stay aloft for over half an hour solely powered by a single rubber-band! As the week progresses we will move from basic design features and the concept of lift to the more advanced and majestic. We will find ways to shave off ounces and perfect our designs as we attempt to create crafts that don't go the fastest or the furthest, but prolong the wonder of flight by floating longer than what seems reasonable or even possible!