Elastic Launched Glider B

[jander14indoor]

You should target about 1 second per foot of ceiling height for a good time.

Jeff Anderson
Livonia, MI

[wlsguy]

The presenter at the Centerville Coaching Academy said non-competitors (i.e. parents, coaches) could built the handles (he showed a fancy one with gauges for angles and whatnot). Is this everyone's interpretation?

Well that wouldn't be my interpretation...

As the presenter, let me explain my logic.

The flying events are filled with all sorts of contraptions and devices used by the competitors but built by others. These include; winders, torque meters, counters, rubber strippers, winding stooges, and, in the case of elastic gliders, launchers. If every competitor were required to make their own launcher, it would likely have been specified in the rules. Since it is not specified, commercial or "coach built" launchers would be permitted in accordance with the general rules.

If you have any doubt, submit a clarification.
-John Hance

[iwonder]

The presenter at the Centerville Coaching Academy said non-competitors (i.e. parents, coaches) could built the handles (he showed a fancy one with gauges for angles and whatnot). Is this everyone's interpretation?

Well that wouldn't be my interpretation...

As the presenter, let me explain my logic.

The flying events are filled with all sorts of contraptions and devices used by the competitors but built by others. These include; winders, torque meters, counters, rubber strippers, winding stooges, and, in the case of elastic gliders, launchers. If every competitor were required to make their own launcher, it would likely have been specified in the rules. Since it is not specified, commercial or "coach built" launchers would be permitted in accordance with the general rules.

If you have any doubt, submit a clarification.
-John Hance

Ahhh I see where you're coming from. I guess in my mind there was a distinction between 'coach-built' and commercial that made the difference. For myself if it were something the coach could build I would much rather have the student do it, since in my own experience our coaches had a similar skill level to students (that's not a comment on the abilities of our coaches or our students, just a general statement). Commercial products are a different realm and most of us couldn't produce something like that in a school or home shop.

That's just my experience and why I cringed when I read parents/coaches building things, I'm sure it's different anywhere you go. I do agree with your logic though.

[jander14indoor]

There is of course no reason you shouldn't have the students build the launcher. While there may be fancy commercial ones available, they have nothing that is beyond the capability of middle school students with little supervision. And think of the additional learning opportunities.

Regards,

Jeff Anderson
Livonia, MI

[wlsguy]

One last point; the Seniors on the team I coached last year made the fancy launcher I showed at the coaches clinic. It is well within the capabilities of even most middle schoolers.

Thanks,
John Hance

[aditi]

Well... I'm doing ELG this year... Last year I did Wheeled Vehicles, and one thing is certain: Wheeled Vehicles don't break as often. Seriously! We built about 5 so far and they all broke! My friend broke one into 15 pieces, and still, she put it all together. How many have you guys built so far? So what timings have you got? We practiced in a gym and it was pretty good, except we're worried about what height the ceiling will be... Also, are you guys making your gliders or buying kits? Making the gliders takes a long time! You spend 9 hours making a glider, and on your first try, it breaks. Does it usually take everyone a few hours to build it? And does anyone have any tips for timing and building? Sorry for all the questions, its only my second year in science olympiad...

[musicalcoconut]

To prevent your glider from breaking on the first launch, make sure that you throw the glider horizontally before actually launching. That way you can tell if the glider is correctly balanced and if it's not, adjust accordingly by adding clay to the front or taking off nose weight. When you do your first launch, add a little bit of clay to the nose of the glider (even if that makes it slightly front heavy) because it will provide some cushioning if the glider crashes. Then once you have your launching technique worked out you can take the extra clay off.

Also here are some things you can do when building to make the glider less susceptible to breaking:
--You can reinforce the fuselage by gluing a very thin stick of carbon fiber to the top. That will make it break less easily and even if the wood breaks, the carbon fiber will hold so it's easier to repair.
--You can also glue a very thin strip of basswood to the front of your wings. Then when it inevitably hits a wall and falls down, scraping the entire way, the front of the wing will be less likely to break.
--Make sure the balsa you use for the fuselage is fairly dense. If it's too spongy and light it will break extremely easily.
--If your wings are splitting due to the air resistance when you launch, use thicker balsa or don't sand them (if you've been sanding them so far).

Even if your gliders do break, a lot of times you can still repair them. I've had gliders break 10+ times and still function after minor repairs. It is kind of inevitable that you'll have a lot of gliders break though so make sure you bring plenty of extra gliders to competitions. Good luck!

[bernard]

Even if you are not using Freedom Flight models, this video is helpful in its descriptions of how to get started with your gliders.

[jander14indoor]

Even though this event is intended to be indoors, I really like the suggestion I've heard this year. To reduce breakage while learning, practice outside in a large, grassy field on a CALM day. When you have consistently good transitions to level, gliding flight instead of the death dive, move indoors.

Also good suggestions from others about building stronger front fuselages. Be careful about too much weight, but you generally need clay on the nose to balance anyway, why not make it structure.

An excellent suggestion on clay at the very front, though you have to be careful that you don't leave. Another alternative would be Styrofoam or similar soft foam. The big reason the gliders shatter when they hit the ground is the hard stop as the stick hits the hard gym floor. ANYthing that cushions that will help save your glider.

Building time, depends a LOT on the kind of glider. I can build a Simple Simon to SO rules in an hour or so while lecturing on the event at clinics. But a big part of building fast also depends on practice and good jigs. What kind of glider are you building and what is your building process? What glue do you use? Etc. Maybe we have some building hints and tips that will speed you up.

Jeff Anderson
Livonia,MI

[scio_musca]

Hi,
Wanted to find out what times other schools are getting for flight times for the glider. We are currently able to get a flight time of 22 seconds. Is this good enough to do well at regionals and state?