Design Report

Kyle Boggeln, Langston Thomas, Brooke Eckerle, Tommy McKinley, Jacob Gero
Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Miami University, Ohio, 45056

Abstract

The team was given the task of building a glider that can freely fly 70 feet, without using any sort of thrust
force. The glider was designed with the help of resources found on the internet. The team thus used this resource as
a guideline for forces on the glider could be exploited or minimized to ensure the glider traveled as far as physically
possible. Every team member was tasked with coming up with a minimum of two initial designs, which were all
compared using a selection matrix which took several aspects into consideration for choosing the best design for a
glider. Once a final design was chosen, a materials list was developed for the glider, and the glider bagan
construction. As the glider was built, it became clear that the bigger/heavier the glider was, the easier it would be for
the glider to travel and create enough lift. The final design is a rounded center body with a single tail on the back
and dihedral wings.

I. Introduction

The goal of the project is to build an airplane that is capable of drifting 70 feet while carrying no less than
50g. After research, the two dihedral wings were chosen because they are the most popular and efficient wing types.
The plane will need to carry the weight at the center of mass in order to keep the glider level. Also, a small frontal
profile for this glider is necessary in order to minimize the drag coefficients experienced by the glider. Furthermore,
the wings will need to be angled slightly upward in order to keep the nose of the glider in the correct direction.

II. Research

According to NASA, forces determine how fast and how far an glider flies. These forces work in different
ways to keep the aircraft in the air and different designs of airplanes exploit or minimize these forces to ensure the
aircraft stays in the air as long as possible. While thrust was included on this list, it is inappropriate to use in this
type of glider. Thrust is the force that propels an airplane forward, by means of engines and heat, which is not used
for a glider. The impacting forces are:

A. Weight

Gravity is what pulls the glider down towards the earth. It is the attractive force from the Earth on the
plane, and gravity is what ensures that the airplane will at some point hit the ground. Minimizing mass helps keep
the plane in the air as long as possible. This is because different objects have different weights, which is the force of
gravity on an object. Weight is calculated by multiplying the acceleration due to gravity with the mass of an object.
Since every object has the same acceleration due to gravity on Earth, keeping mass as small causes the force of
gravity to be weaker on an object. therefore making it easier to keep it in the air.

B. Lift
Lift is the force that works in the opposite direction of gravity. This caused by the wing cutting through the
air. It causes the air underneath the wing to go faster than the air on top because it has to travel a longer distance.
This causes an imbalance of pressure and acts against the weight of the airplane. If the plane is going faster then it
will generate more lift then it going slower.

C. Drag
Drag is the force from the air that pushes against the airplane, resisting its flight. This is caused by the
particles in the air, which the glider encounters. These air particles push against the plane, in the same way, that a
pile of bricks would resist a car moving forward. The goal of a successful glider is to minimize this force, or in other
words, resist the number of particles in the air the plane runs into. This can be done with wings that are as thin as
possible, which allows for a few particles to resist the path of the airplane as possible. A thin central body would
work in the same way.

III.Patents

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 It was decided to resemble some of the found patents in the design of the glider. The U.S. Patent website,
http://www.uspto.gov/ ,was used to find ideas of gliders that would help reach the goal glider. Specifically, patent
subclass 154 concerning ‘kites that look like planes’. This patent talks about the capabilities of the wings. By
looking at the patents concerning airfoils and ‘heavier than air aircraft’. The glider will follow these wing patents
with swept back wings. Not only is it important to not directly use something patented, it is also important to use
previous patentas as a guideline for the new glider. The glider will not have many other extra options besides
possibly load accommodations for the 50g weight.

IV. Major Constraints

The budget for the glider cannot exceed twenty dollars. The resources that can be used are cardboard, foam
board, paper, and adhesives and equipment used will include a ruler and scissors. The glider cannot exceed 42
inches from tip to tail and 60 inches for the wingspan. The glider must also carry a 50-gram load.

V. Standards

Some standards of the glider will be that the glider will not have power and will be fixed-winged. Stability
of the glider will be shown by the glider returning to a steady flight after an initial push from the force exerted on it
in the initial launch and no more after. The glider being made must also be heavier than air aircraft that must remain
in free flight without the use of propulsion or power.

VI. Glider Propositions:

A. Larger wings for more lift. Overall length to help prevent tipping. Measurements would be about the same as the
foam to save time in construction. This is not the glider chosen because it did not score well on the matrix selection.
B. This glider design takes a different approach compared to the last with the larger wings being able to displace
more air for lift instead of bending them upwards. Both designs do feature the tail. This design features a larger tail
which should help it keep it straighter.
C. The narrow body of the glider helps reduce drag. This design also makes the glider lighter due to the slimmer
sleeker shape. The wings also are bent upwards in this design in order to generate more lift. This plane focuses
more on being lightweight to negate the effects of gravity.
D. This glider should have backward curved wings. These wings should be angled upwards on the side view. The
wings should approach the 60 inches maximum. The body of the glider should have a rounded nose and should be
thin (1-2 inches) the body of the glider should be 30-35 inches long. The weight of the glider will carry it and will
not need to be additionally weighed down. Also, the rounded edges of all sides will allow the glider to move through
the air easily.
E. This glider will have boxy wings and a streamlined body. The body should be 35-40 inches and the wings should
be 40-50 inches. This is a unique shape for a glider and the possibility of it working are not high. This glider was
not chosen.
F. The design of the glider comes from the fact that the wings are wider than they are long. The wings are also
triangle shaped. This allows the wings to pick up more air, giving it lift. The smaller wings in the back help the
stability of the glider when flying. The glider resembles certain military aircraft, and the thought behind it was it
may be able to work on a smaller scale also.
G. The long and thin wings cause more lift. Where the slim body cuts down on weight. The extra width in the
middle cuts down on weight. The extra weight in the middle also supports the weight of the glider. The extra wings
in the back provide stability.
H. The design for this glider comes from the fact that the wings are triangular shaped and long, wide, and thin. The
central body is also very narrow. This minimizes weight and maximizes how aerodynamic the glider is. The back
wings also help with stability.
I. The wider body supports the weight. The long wings create width where the width reduces drag. The tail creates
more stability. The length also prevents the plane from tipping. This plane has an elevated tail to help stabilize the
plane. This was model that was decided to base the glider off of.

VII. Selection Matrix

B. Selection Matrix Explanation

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 The selection matrix below includes 10 categories, price, mass, wing design, simplicity, and tail design.
These categories were used to decide on which airplane design that would be used. This simplified the decision and
allowed focus on improving the chosen design. The grid helps demonstrate the choice and show how this decision
was made.

Tail
Price Mass Wing Wing Design Simplicity Tail Design
Price Weight Mass Weight Design Weight Simplicity Weight Design Weight Totals
1 4 2 4 3 2 4 3 3 3 3 46
2 4 2 3 3 2 4 4 3 3 3 46
3 3 2 4 3 1 4 2 3 4 3 40
4 4 2 3 3 1 4 4 3 2 3 39
5 3 2 2 3 1 4 3 3 3 3 34
6 3 2 3 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 45
7 3 2 3 3 3 4 3 3 2 3 42
8 4 2 3 3 2 4 4 3 3 3 46

9 4 2 4 3 4 4 3 3 4 3 49

A. Selection Matrix Reasoning

1. Wing design Weight
Wing design was the highest weighted item because without an effective wing design, the glider would not
be aerodynamic and could crash as a result. That is why the primary focus is on the wing design to give the most lift
in the airplanes.
2. Simplicity Weight
Simplicity was ranked as the second priority because if the glider’s design is too complicated, the glider
design could work but, additionally, if the design is too complicated to create then it will not be useful. The
simplicity helps to build it quickly and be able to make adjustments where needed. Although if a glider is to
simplified then it may not have the necessary edges and angles to fly correctly.
3. Mass Weight
Mass is weighted with a 3 because if the mass of the glider is too heavy then the glider will not fly, but if
the mass is too light then the glider will not fly straight. The mass also is important after the 50 gram weight is
added to the plane.
4. Tail Design Weight
The tail design received a weight of 3 because without an effective tail design then the glider will not fly
and crash. The tail, if used correctly, will help the glider by keeping it fly straight and potentially keeping the nose
down.
5. Price Weight
Price was ranked as the lowest rated item because the price is not a major factor in the overall design of the
glider. The price will also be relatively the same for all the gliders and will absolutely be under the twenty dollar
limit.

VIII. Engineering Analysis

When the glider project was started several ideas of gliders were put forth and one was ultimately chosen.
This was chosen through the selection matrix above. After it was chosen, the design was drawn up in Autodesk
Inventor so the exact measurements would be known by the team members. The design was then put into CFD
where the glider was tested for lift and drag forces. The team then worked to construct the glider so it could be
tested before the final testing on May 14. The team used foam boards to make a rough outline of the glider and

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shaved down the edges until it fit the Autodesk model. The tools used where foam cutters, bandsaw, and
sandpaper.

IX. Experimental Data and Results

In order to test the glider, a drawing was made on Autodesk Inventor and was tested in Autodesk CFD for
drag force and lift forces. The initial velocity was set to 5 mph and the material for the glider was set as
ABS(polycarbonate). This test of forces showed the drag force to be 0.07 Newtons and the lift to be 0.08 Newtons.
Considering the weight of the glider and the initial force required to throw the glider, these forces will be sufficient
in the working of the glider.

X. Resource Utilization

At the beginning of this project, while we were choosing various glider designs one of the selling factors of
this design was the price. It was relatively inexpensive as it only utilized two materials, foam and hot glue. Staying
true to this ideal, when we eventually settled on this design and began construction. We maintained this practice and
kept the price to what we initially estimated it to be, that being $15.26. The price basically broke down into to two
material costs: hot glue which costed $3.97 and approximately one third of a blue foam board which broke down to
be $11.29.

XI. Conclusion

In conclusion, based on the experimental data and the results, the group’s glider project does meet the
needs of the project. This was accomplished through following their ten step process from analyzing what they were
needing to accomplish all the way to designing and testing the glider. The team’s work dynamic also played a vital
role into the outcome of the project. By dividing the work evenly between each member of the group they were able
to work on the project efficiently and help with the group’s research and make sure every member is pulling their
weight in the project and not leaving one member with all the work. The group started by using the 10 step process
and defining what the project needs. After defining the problem the group began their research on how gliders work.
Then the group started making designs and chose on a singular design to create. The group then created the glider as
close to the specifications of the design as they could with the materials they had and began experimenting with their
design. Finally, after the experiments the group completed their project and made the changes needed in order to
improve their design.

Acknowledgments

All authors would like to thank Dr. Caraballo for the purchase of supplies used in the building of the glider.

References

Dunbar, Brian. “What Is Aerodynamics?” NASA, NASA, 27 May 2015, www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-

8/features/nasa-knows/what-is-aerodynamics-58.html.
“Glider Handbook.” FAA Seal, 15 May 2014,
www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aircraft/glider_handbook/.
“ASTM F2564 - 14.” ASTM International - Standards Worldwide, www.astm.org/Standards/F2564.htm.Patent:
USPTO Office of Public Affairs. “United States Patent and Trademark Office.” United States Patent and Trademark
Office - An Agency of the Department of Commerce, www.uspto.gov/.

Appendix
VI:A

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VI:B

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VI:C

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VI:D

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VI:E

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VI:F

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VI:G

VI:H

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VI:I

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XI.

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