March 27, 2023

Over the past month, I have read “Crime and Punishment” by Fyodor Dostoyevsky and “The First Emperor of China” by Frances Wood. “Crime and Punishment” by far is the more interesting book of the two as it includes creative writing, deep themes, and compelling storytelling. In my opinion, “The First Emperor of China” is more of a record than a book as it has a lot of important information about ancient china. However, where it excels in facts and knowledge, lacks in creativity.

I recommend “The First Emperor of China” to anyone who is fascinated in the deep history of China. It has amazing cites and research and conveys the facts at very fluent pacing which makes it very simple ad easy to consume. However, for readers who read for enjoyment or story, “The First Emperor of China” is not for you.

Day 1: Feb 21, 2023

Main wings

Body of airplane

For the first half of the class, we manually transcribed the tutorial video we chose and gathered all the materials. The transcribing was difficult as the channel was Thai so we needed to look at and copy the subtitles. We needed help from Ms. Amanda to find the appropriate wood we needed which was balsa wood. She took us to the school’s storage room and we were able to find just the right amount of balsa wood that was 5mm thick. We discovered the school did not have any polyfoam available and so we bought the polyfoam and plastic sheet required for the propeller on TaoBao.

During the second half, we decided to start constructing our plane.  we divided the work between ourselves. Jenny worked on crafting the wings, while I concentrated on shaping the body. However, I faced some challenges while cutting the balsa wood, so I switched to using a hobby knife for better precision. Despite this setback, we were able to complete the main wing and most of the body.

Day 2: Feb 23, 2023

Finished Propeller

Shepherd’s hook

During this class, Mr. Michie fell ill and was absent which led to us not having the most productive class. Fortunately, Jenny and I had a proper plan before class and knew what we were going to do.

I tried to create the hook that connected the propeller to the rubber band but experienced some difficulty. Mr. Walton helped us in finding the appropriate pliers and softer wires. He provided some feedback on our design, noting that the original video design had the tip slanted toward the tail, which interfered with the hook. He also advised us to use a shepherd’s hook because it is very simple and sturdy(you can see in the example above). We took his advice and modified the design of the hook and the slanted part, resulting in and improved propeller.

Jenny used the plastic we had purchased to create the propeller. She created a prototype out of masking tape,  and traced it onto the curved plastic at a 16º angle from the vertical cut which successfully created the wings of the propeller.

I drilled a 5mm diameter skewer with the smallest drill bit and created the connector tube using an empty plastic q-tip stick. I inserted the wire through the q-tip stick, heated the tip with a lighter to soften it, and then flattened the tip into a washer by pressing it against a cool metal table. Our substitute teacher assisted us with the lighter as we were both wary of fire. We attached the contraption to the main body, securing it with thread. After that, we inserted the wire through the q-tip tube and affixed the propeller onto the wire tip, gluing it with super glue.

Day 3: Feb 27, 2023

Final plane design

Jenny superglued her hand to the propeller

This class’s goal was to assemble and fly our plane. We attached all the missing parts to the plane and went outside to see if our hard work had paid off. We were regrettably not able to get the first test flight on video as there was some miscommunication between me and Jenny on when to press record. Unfortunately, I did not consider the direction of the wind and threw our plane against the wind. This resulted in our plane being ripped out of the air and nose-dived to the ground and broke.  We thought that we could just super glue the broken pieces back on, however, Jenny ended up super gluing the propeller to her hand. Only after soaking in warm soapy water was she able to remove her hand from the propeller. Because of this, we decided to remake our plane.

We reflected on what went wrong and concluded that:

1. We should have launched it indoors as it was too windy
2. the tension of the 6 rubber band braid was too much and prevented the propeller from functioning successfully
3. Our trajectory was incorrect as we did not throw it parallel to the ground

Day 4: March 1, 2023

24846 – 2nd test launch video

Due to us having already made a rubber-powered plane, we were able to successfully finish our second model in one class. We added some adjustments to the original model and used 3 rubber bands instead of 6.

We took our plane outside again to test as it was not as windy as the previous test run. This time Jenny threw the plane and I recorded.  Unfortunately, again, our plane did not work and broke against its impact on the ground.

By observing the video, we were able to deduce that our trajectory was off again, as Jenny threw it up instead of forward and that our next test run should be done indoors.

Keeping this in mind, we decided to remake our plane again as fast as possible.

Day 5: March 3, 2023

Close-up on rubber band motor

Final model of our plane

Broken airplane

24836 – 3rd test launch video

This is our last day to make our airplane fly and we had 2 failures so far. We built our plane at record speed as we already have a lot of experience. We wasted no time and made sure to be very precise and accurate.

This time, we decided to launch our plane indoors so the wind will not affect it. Despite this and that our trajectory was perfect, the plane was not able to get enough lift and crashed, again, to the ground. It pathetically broke into 4 parts and by the time we got back to the design room, the class was over and it was time to pack up.

As you can see in my model, the wing basically slices the air into 2 parts. The air pressure is reduced on the top and increases at the bottom of the wing which creates lift. Due to this test being indoors, I predict that the cause of this crash was that there was not enough air current to keep our plane aloft.

Conclusion

In conclusion, despite our 3 plane models not being successful and crashing to the ground, it was a valuable learning experience. Through the process, we gained knowledge in areas such as aerodynamics, teamwork, and problem-solving. We learned that engineering projects require careful planning, precise measurements, and attention to detail. We also realized that sometimes things don’t go as planned, and failure can be a valuable opportunity for growth and improvement. Although we didn’t achieve our ultimate goal, we are proud of the effort we put into the project and the skills we developed along the way. As we move forward, we will take the lessons we learned from this project and apply them to future engineering endeavours.

Success Criteria Reflection

In this project, I set three success criteria to measure our progress and determine what constitutes success. Upon reflecting on our experience, I believe that the first success criterion – building a rubber-powered plane that can stay aloft for over 20 seconds and remain stable during flight – was the hardest to achieve. This was due to the technical skills, tweaking design elements such as wing shape, weight distribution, and rubber tension, as well as experimenting with different launch techniques.

Jenny and I have worked together on previous projects and have experience in teamwork and collaboration, which does not make the second success criterion challenging. The third success criterion can be achieved through good planning, effort, and communication which are skills I also have experience with.

Despite this, we faced challenges in our project, such as crashes during flight tests. In order to address these issues, we had to rebuild and redesign our plane three times and thoroughly analyze each test flight to identify areas for improvement.

One key lesson I learned from this project was the importance of considering external factors, such as wind conditions and launch techniques, in achieving our success criteria. For example, in our first flight test, I threw the plane against the wind instead of towards it, resulting in the plane getting knocked out. In our second test, Jenny threw the plane upwards instead of forwards, leading to a 180-degree flip and a nose-dive. Our third test, which took place indoors, was also unsuccessful as we did not have enough wind current to generate lift and air pressure.

In conclusion, despite our efforts and experiences in teamwork and communication, building a rubber-powered plane that can stay aloft for over 20 seconds and remain stable during flight proved to be the most challenging of our success criteria. However, we learned valuable lessons about the technical skills required, as well as the importance of considering external factors in achieving our goals.

Safety Considerations Reflection

During the planning phase of our project, Jenny and I did not give much thought to the safety protocols we should follow. However, we were reminded of the importance of safety when handling superglue during the course of this project. We learned that it is important to wear gloves while handling superglue to avoid any potential accidents.

During our first crash, Jenny attempted to glue the broken pieces of our plane together with super glue. Unfortunately, her plan backfired as she accidentally glued the propeller to her hand, and had to wash her hands with warm water and soap for over 10 minutes to detach the plane. This incident highlighted the importance of not only wearing gloves but also being cautious when using any kind of adhesive or sharp objects during the construction process. As a result, we learned to prioritize safety and ensure that we have the necessary protective gear and follow proper handling procedures when working with potentially dangerous materials.

Manufacturing Reflection

During this project, one of the manufacturing processes that we found to be very effective was creating a template for our plane’s wing design. We used a piece of cardboard to create a stencil for the wing shape, which allowed us to quickly and accurately trace the shape onto our balsa wood sheets. This saved us a lot of time and helped ensure consistency in the wing design across all of the sheets we cut.

Additionally, we found that using a hobby knife to cut the balsa wood sheets was much more effective than using scissors or other cutting tools. The hobby knife allowed us to make precise cuts and shapes, which was important for ensuring that all of the parts fit together correctly and that the plane was balanced.

Another effective manufacturing process we used was creating a jig for the wing assembly. The jig held the pieces of the wing in place while the glue dried, which helped ensure that the wing was straight and symmetrical. This was especially important for our deep chamber wing design, which required precise alignment of the wing components.

Overall, by using templates, hobby knives, and jigs, we were able to manufacture the parts of our plane quickly, accurately, and with a high degree of precision. These processes helped us create a well-crafted and balanced plane, which was crucial for achieving our goal of a stable and controlled flight.

Controversial Decisions Reflection

The decision to use super glue instead of polyfoam glue was a controversial decision which had both positive and negative effects. On one hand, using super glue allowed us to move quickly through the construction process. We were able to glue components together in a matter of minutes whereas the polyfoam glue would have taken 2 times longer. Additionally, super glue created a very strong bond between the material which ensured our plane was sturdy and could withstand the stress of flight.

Despite this, superglue is an adhesive that contains organic solvents. Once these solvents get into contact with Polyfoam, this will cause Polyfoam to melt. This is a big problem because one of our main materials is Polyfoam but we decided to go with super glue because of the time constraint we had.

Planning Reflection

Throughout the planning process for this project, there were several key decisions and strategies that we implemented that ultimately led to a successful outcome. One of the most effective planning strategies we used was to break down the project into smaller, more manageable tasks.

Another planning strategy that proved to be very effective was to establish clear roles and responsibilities for each team member. I mainly focused on building the body of the plane while Jenny focused on the wings. This allowed us to work more efficiently and productively, and to ensure that everyone was contributing in a meaningful way to the project.

We also made sure to establish clear timelines and deadlines for each task, which helped us to stay on track and to ensure that we were making progress at a steady pace. By breaking the project down into smaller tasks, we were able to create a more realistic timeline that accounted for unexpected setbacks and delays.

Finally, we made sure to communicate regularly and openly with each other, which helped to ensure that we were all on the same page throughout the project. We held regular meetings to discuss our progress and to identify any potential roadblocks or challenges that we might encounter, and we worked collaboratively to find solutions to these problems.

Overall, the planning process for this project was very effective. By breaking down the project into smaller tasks, delegating responsibilities, establishing clear timelines, and communicating openly and regularly, we were able to work efficiently and effectively as a team.

Improvements Made From the Tutorial:

This section connects the major wing to the body of the plane. In the tutorial, the man uses 1mm of balsa wood for the side walls. However, we do not have 1mm thick balsa wood available to us so we decided to change the wood to polyfoam instead. Polyfoam is also lighter than balsa wood which would reduce the weight of the plane, thus making the plane fly more efficiently without strain.

This is one of the most important sections of the plane as it connects the propeller to the rubber band motor. However, Jenny and I are lacking the skills needed to make the hook into the shape shown in the video. After some discussion, we realized we did not need to have the hook exactly the same as the video and that it just needed to fulfill the same purpose effectively. Therefore, we made the hook design much simpler as shown in my sketch.

Final Model:

Materials:

• 3mm thick and >34.8 cm long sheet of balsa wood
• Wood Glue
• Ruler that is longer than 30 cm
• pen/marker
• Wood cutter knife
• q-tip plastic stick
• lighter
• sandpaper
• sewing thread
• 1 plier
• 46 mm thick wire
• 2mm thick polyfoam
• clear tape
• 1 skewer
• 1 sewing pin
• 1 sheets of A4 paper
• 1 scissors
• 1 paper cup
• 1 protractor
• thin plastic sheet wrap
• 2 or 3 washers
• 6 rubber bands

Procedure(We translated the tutorial video we chose and tried our best to write down each step):

1. cut a diagonal strip of balsa wood that is 8 mm thick in the front, 5 mm thick in the end, and 34.8cm long. (We’ll call this the body of the plane)
2. cut a diagonal tip – 4mm wide
3. Cut a piece of balsa wood that is 1cm x 5mm long
4. connect the piece to the 8mm thick tip of the body with wood glue
5. measure 21.3 cm on the body
6. cut a balsa wood strip 5 x 5mm, and then cut the strip in half
7. stick one of the halves under the balsa wood stick where the 21.3 cm is marked
8. mark 9 cm on the body
9. mark 5.7 cm on the body
10. measure 4.3 from 5mm thick end
11. measure 2mm at the 5mm thick end
12. cut a small section at the end of the tail (2mm x 4.3mm) that is right side up
13. get q-tip stick cut stem to the length of the body
14. put the wire through cut q-tip stick
15. burn the ends of the stick and press flat
16. sand the q-tip
17. glue the q-tip stick onto the tip of the balsa wood stick flat end face out
18. wrap the thread around the tipto secure it
19. glue the thread & cut the excess
20. using pliers bend the wire that is connected to the q-tip into a hook shape (bend two times counter-clockwise, and once clockwise)
21. stick it into the front of the body
22. wrap with thread & glue to secure
23. cut polyfoam 38 cm lengthwise, 5.8cm width
24. mark the center
25. mark 8.9cm on both sides
26. mark 1cm away from center line
27. cut end into curved shape
28. sand the edges
29. press the shape into bigger foam, roll to make a curve
30. cut off the end flaps, lift 7mm
31. glue two pieces together at an angle
32. secure with tape
33. cut the center off at the 1cm marks
34. lift up 2cm
35. glue back together, at an angle
36. secure with tape
37. the ends would be 4.5 cm above the table
38. cut new polyfoam 18.45 x 4.25
39. mark midpoint
40. make curve at the ends same as the big wing
41. mark the top leading edge, and mark bottom tail edge for both wings
42. sand everything
43. cut a new 5.7 x 4.5cm
44. make a curved shape out of it
45. sand everything
46. cut diagonally 0.7 cm
47. cut a strip of balsa wood that is 5.7cm and 2.5-3mm thick
48. curved 2 strips cut from previous
49. glue it to the item we made at step 45 and make a shape that resembles a sandwich
50. attach to marked section from the start
51. get a skewer that is 5.5cm long
52. Pierce the sewing pin in the middle of it
53. wrap it with thread securely
54. add glue
55. cut a 6x2cm A4 paper strip
56. fold the A4 paper strip in half
57. cut a curve on the paper strip to make it look like a plane wing
58. get a paper cup
59. trace A4 paper onto cup at 16 degrees angle
60. get thin plastic, which must be rolled to the same diameter as the cup
61. trace the plastic on the cup and cut it out
62. sand
63. chop the skewer again on both sides
64. attach the propellers into the stabbed areas of the skewer
65. glue it
66. pinch until dry
67. remove pin from skewer
68. sand a piece of wire 0.6 mm thick at the end
69. bend wire into L shape, bend again make a hook
70. insert hook into q-tip
71. add 2 washers at the front
72. insert stick into propeller skewer
73. cut the wire leaving 1 cm at the front
74. bend the 1cm into the hook
75. glue the cut end of the long stick to small wings
76. glue fin above it
77. glue the sandwich to the big wing
78. glue fin wing to stick
79. braid rubber band
80. attach the rubber bands to the hooks
81. twist the propeller 500-600 times
82. hold the rubber band until release.
83. Your ready to fly your airplane!

Timeline:

Success Criteria:

1. Our rubber-powered plane flew outside for over 20 seconds and demonstrated stability and control in flight.
2. I have demonstrated teamwork and collaboration throughout the project. I showed respect to Jenny and supported my teammate in problem-solving and decision-making.
3. I have completed all our blog posts and assignments with high quality that meets Mr. Michie’s standards.