OK, so the Wright Brothers beat you to the first airplane flight. That doesn’t mean you can’t improve on the developments in aviation since. Design your own plane and learn about aerodynamics while challenging that pesky force of gravity. You also get the thrill of imagining yourself in the cockpit of your creation, rocketing into the wild-blue yonder. Here’s how to design planes to express yourself and learn more about science.
Think about all the parts of an airplane necessary for flight. You need to design a way to direct airflow that creates lift, putting your plane into the sky. Most airplanes have done this with wings. Your plane will need a way to provide the aircraft with thrust. This can be accomplished with propellers or jet engines. Finally, your pilot needs a way to steer the plane in the intended direction. Flaps and rudders accomplish this task.
Decide what your plane’s fuselage will look like. This is the largest part of your plane and should be designed to fit the task for which your plane is intended. A bomber will have a big, lumbering fuselage because its most important asset is space for carrying bombs. A fighter jet, by comparison, has a streamlined, thin fuselage to allow the plane to move fast with good maneuverability. Be sure to decide if you want an aerodynamic tail.
Figure out what size and shape the wings should be. There are lots of options, and they all have different aerodynamics. Planes with perpendicular wings generally have great stability. Swept-wing planes (when the wings are at an angle) channel the air favorably when a plane is travelling at supersonic speeds.
Next, decide upon the kind of propulsion you will use. Again, the purpose will have an effect on this. If your plane is going to be used as a crop duster, you might not want to equip it with the latest jumbo jet engines. Consider the strength of the rest of your plane, too. If the plane you’re designing isn’t very big and the wings are small, large engines could tear the wings off. Propellers are a good, reliable option, but might not be the best for very long flights. Since you’re designing your own plane, feel free to equip your aircraft with a cool engine that hasn’t been invented yet.
Now your plane needs to maneuver. Add rudders to the tail and flaps to the rear side of the wings. The larger the moving parts, the more your plane will move.
You can’t design your own plane without adding all of the fun personal touches. Add the windshield, insignias, cool graphics and more. Let your imagination run wild.
