The Wright Way: The Process of Invention poster pdfteacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlnasa/otherprint/poster/ProcessofInvention.pdf · process of science. Fundamental concepts and principles

The Wright Way:The Process of InventionThe Wright Way:The Process of Invention

OhioBirthplaceof Aviation

Wilbur Wright(1867-1912)

18781892

1900

1901

1901

1902

Dec. 17, 1903

1904

1905

Orville Wright(1871-1948)

Huffman PrairieDayton, Ohio

Susan and Milton Wright

Dayton, OH

The Flying Toy: A small toy “helicopter”—made of wood with two twisted rubber bandsto turn a small propeller—that the Wrightbrothers played with as small boys. The Bicycle Business: The Wright brothers

opened a bicycle store in 1892. Theirexperience with bicycles aided them in theirinvestigations of flight.

The Solution: At Kill Devil Hills, NC, in themorning, the Wright 1903 Flyer became thefirst powered, heavier-than-air machine toachieve controlled, sustained flight.

The Search for Control: From their observationsof how buzzards kept their balance, the Wrightbrothers began their aeronautical research in1899 with a kite/glider. In 1900, they built theirfirst glider designed to carry a pilot.

The Wright 1904 Flyer: The Wrights’ secondpowered airplane, flown at Huffman Prairie,achieved the first circular flight of an airplane.Stability was still a problem.

The Wright 1905 Flyer: This Flyer was theworld’s first practical airplane—a machine thatcould bank, circle, turn, and fly figure eights.

Controlling the Aircraft: The key to solving thecontrol problem was the addition of a rudderto the glider design. This allowed the Wrightsto develop a powered aircraft.

The Wind Tunnel: The Wrights tested smallmodel wings in a wind tunnel that enabledthem to calculate the wing shape and size thatwould be required to lift them into the air.

The 1901 Glider: The Wright brothers 1901Glider enabled them to spend more time in theair and to uncover additional design problems.

Wilbur and Orville WrightInventors

Wilbur and Orville Wright placed their names firmly in the hall of greatAmerican inventors with the creation of the world’s first successfulpowered, heavier-than-air machine to achieve controlled, sustained flightwith a pilot aboard. The age of powered flight began with the Wright 1903Flyer on December 17, 1903, at Kill Devil Hills, NC. The Wright brothersbegan serious experimentation in aeronautics in 1899 and perfected acontrollable craft by 1905. In six years, the Wrights had used remarkable cre-ativity and originality to provide technical solutions, practical mechanicaldesign tools, and essential components that resulted in a profitable aircraft.They did much more than simply get a flying machine off the ground. Theyestablished the fundamental principles of aircraft design and engineering inplace today. In 1908, they demonstrated their flying machine publicly in theUnited States and Europe. By 1910, the Wright Company was manufactur-ing airplanes for sale. Despite the Wrights’ dramatic jump ahead of the restof the world aeronautical community, others quickly caught up to Wilbur andOrville Wright and surpassed their designs, which is the nature ofscience. They accomplished their goals by themselves. They relied on theirown questions, hypotheses, experiments, research, observations, infer-ences, and conclusions.They tested and failed repeatedly.They endured dis-appointment and hardships to realize their dream of inventing a flyingmachine, the airplane. The Wright brothers did not just fulfill their goals butthey ushered in a new era of air and space exploration.

About The PosterThis poster was designed to honor theaccomplishments of the Wright brothers,two brilliant, self-trained engineers fromOhio who designed, built, and flew the firstpower-driven, heavier-than-air machine inwhich humans made free, controlled, andsustained flight.

The centennial of powered flight presents aunique opportunity to focus on the historicalsignificance of the aviation-related eventsleading up to, and following, December 17,1903. More importantly, the 100th anniver-sary of flight will inspire a new generation ofinventors, innovators, and dreamers. In thespan of a single century, the vision, persist-ence, and ingenuity of many have taken usfrom the first powered flight on the sanddunes of North Carolina’s outer banks to apermanent presence in space.

In honor of the 100th anniversary of flight,the U.S. Congress established the U.S.Centennial of Flight Commission. TheCommission will encourage, enable, andamplify the efforts of all the organizationsand individuals planning to celebrate theachievements of the Wright brothers and acentury of powered flight by serving as acatalyst for activities and a central resource.The Commission is encouraging and pro-moting national and international participa-tion in the commemoration of the centen-nial of powered flight by the public; educa-tors and students; Federal, State, and localgovernment officials; members of civic andcultural organizations; and members of theaviation and aerospace industry.

We invite you to visit the U.S. Centennialof Flight Commission’s Web site(www.centennialofflight.gov) where youwill find information about theCommission, the centennial of poweredflight, and the history of aviation andaerospace. The site has been designed tobe used by educators and their students,aviators, aviation enthusiasts, the media,and all organizations planning to partici-pate in the celebration. The Web site alsoincludes a calendar that provides informa-tion about upcoming events related to thecentennial of flight, the history of aviationand aerospace, and aviation in general. A“Submit an Event” feature is available forevent planners who wish to post informa-tion on the U.S. Centennial of FlightCommission’s calendar. New informationand resources will be added regularly tothe site through December 2003.

To The EducatorThe purpose of this poster is to help youinspire, educate, and encourage your stu-dents to learn about the Wright brothers, thecelebration of the 100th anniversary of flight,and the history of aviation and aerospace.The classroom activities are designed to pro-vide hands-on experiences for your studentsthat relate to some of the scientific process-es employed by the Wright brothers.

The resources listed throughout this posterwill help you and your students locate addi-tional information, educational products,and activities related to the Wright brothersand the history of aviation and aerospace.

A Few Questions to Get YourStudents StartedThe state motto of Ohio is “The Birthplaceof Aviation.” Why was that motto chosen?Where did the Wright brothers live? Whatdid they do? When did they become inter-ested in aviation? What did they do to fur-ther their knowledge about aviation? Read“The Wright Brothers’ Story” on thisposter to find out why the pictures on thefront of this poster are significant.

Why is the State of North Carolina knownas “First in Flight.” Why did the Wrightbrothers travel from Ohio to NorthCarolina? How did they get there? Howoften did they go to North Carolina? Howlong did they stay? Where did they live?Were their machines transported fromone State to the other, if so, how?

Although the States of Ohio and NorthCarolina are well known for early devel-opments in aviation, many people fromother States and countries around theworld were thinking about flight, buildingaircraft, and conducting experimentsbefore, during, and after the Wrightbrothers’ involvement in flight. Who werethese people? Where did they live? Whatcontributions did they make?

Study your State’s aviation and aero-space history. Discuss how the advancesin aviation and aerospace during the past100 years have affected you and yourfamily. Imagine what changes will occurin aviation and aerospace in the next 100years. Design a poster representing thehistory of aviation and aerospace in your

State. Create a calendar with informationabout significant people, places, and his-torical aviation and aerospace events inyour State. Share your poster and calen-dar with others in your school, communi-ty, or State. Send an electronic copy ofyour poster and your calendar to theCentennial of Flight Commission’s Web site ([email protected]).Plan your own centennial of flight cele-bration. If your event meets the criteriafor inclusion on the Commission’s calen-dar, complete and submit the electronicform found on the Centennial Web site.

History andNature ofScienceWhat is the nature of science? When doyou teach what? What should studentsbe able to understand and do? What isthe role of the teacher? How is historyimportant to the understanding of sci-ence? Society? Cultures? Technologicaladvances?

Grades K–4The following guidelines aredesigned to help students in gradesK–4 develop an understanding of sci-ence as a human endeavor.

Developing Student Understanding:Teachers should build on students’ naturalinclinations to ask questions and investigatetheir world. Groups of students can conduct

Celebrating a Century of Powered FlightThe Wright brothers turned their dreams into reality and revolutionized the world.

investigations that begin with a questionand progress toward communicating ananswer to the question. Teachers shouldemphasize investigations and thinking aboutexplanations and not overemphasize memo-rization of scientific terms and information.Students learn about scientific inquiryand significant people from history.

Fundamental concepts and principlesfor Science as a Human Endeavor:Science and technology have been prac-ticed by people for a long time. Men andwomen have made contributions through-out the history of science and technology.Although men and women using scientificinquiry have learned much about theobjects, events, and phenomena in nature,much more remains to be understood.Scientific inquiry will never be finished.Many people choose science as a careerand devote their entire lives to pursuingthe study of science.

Grades 5–8The following guidelines aredesigned to help students in grades5–8 develop an understanding of sci-ence as a human endeavor, thenature of science, and the history ofscience.

Developing Student Understanding:Teachers engage students in scientificinvestigations to provide the backgroundfor developing an understanding of thenature of scientific inquiry, and also pro-vide a foundation for appreciating the his-tory of science.

Historical examples are introduced tohelp students see the scientific enterpriseas philosophical, social, and human.

Middle-school students are given oppor-tunities to better understand scientificinquiry and the interactions between sci-ence and society. Teachers of science canuse the actual experiences of studentinvestigations, case studies, and historicalvignettes to develop an understanding ofthe history and nature of science.

Fundamental concepts and principlesfor Science as a Human Endeavor:People of various social and ethnic back-grounds engage in the activities of sci-ence, engineering, and related fields.Scientists communicate extensively withothers. Science requires different abilities,depending on such factors as the field ofstudy and type of inquiry. Science reliesupon basic human qualities of reasoning,insight, energy, skill, creativity, intellectualhonesty, tolerance of ambiguity, skepti-cism, and openness to new ideas.

Fundamental concepts and principlesfor the Nature of Science:Scientists formulate and test their expla-nations of nature using observation,experiments, and theoretical and mathe-matical models. Scientists change theirideas about nature when they encounternew experimental evidence that does notmatch their existing explanations.

In areas of active research it is normal forscientists to differ with one another aboutthe interpretation of the evidence or theo-ry being considered. Scientists acknowl-edge such conflict and work towards find-ing evidence that will resolve their dis-agreement. It is part of scientific inquiryto evaluate the results of scientific investi-gations, experiments, observations, theo-retical models, and the explanations pro-posed by other scientists. Evaluation

includes reviewing the experimental pro-cedures, examining the evidence, andsuggesting alternative explanations for thesame observations. Scientists agree thatquestioning, response to criticism, andopen communication are integral to theprocess of science.

Fundamental concepts and principlesfor the History of Science:Many individuals have contributed to thetraditions of science. Learning somethingabout these individuals can provide fur-ther understanding of scientific inquiry,science as a human endeavor, the natureof science, and the relationships betweenscience and society. Science is practicedby a wide variety of individuals in virtuallyall cultures. World history suggests thatscientists and engineers of high achieve-ment are considered to be among themost valued contributors to their culture.

Tracing the history of science can showhow difficult it was for scientific innovatorsto break through the accepted ideas oftheir time to reach conclusions that wecurrently take for granted.

Grades 9–12The following guidelines aredesigned to help students in grades9–12 develop an understanding ofscience as a human endeavor, thenature of scientific knowledge, andhistorical perspectives.

Developing Student Understanding:Studying the history of scientific inquirycan be useful in helping students under-stand how the philosophy of science hasdeveloped over time and in various cul-tures. Effective science lessons may incor-porate historical examples that accommo-

date student interests, while helpingdevelop an understanding of the humandimension of science, the nature of scien-tific knowledge, and the place of sciencein society.

Fundamental concepts and principlesfor Science as a Human Endeavor:Individuals and teams have contributedand will continue to contribute to the sci-entific enterprise whether it is as a careeror hobby. Doing science or engineeringcan be as simple as an individual conduct-ing field studies or as complex as hun-dreds of people working on a major scien-tific question or technological problem.

Scientists have ethical traditions.Scientists value peer review, truthfulreporting about the methods and out-comes of investigations, and making pub-lic the results of work.

Fundamental concepts and principlesfor the Nature of ScientificKnowledge:Science distinguishes itself from other waysof knowing and from other bodies of knowl-edge through the use of empirical stan-dards, logical arguments, and skepticism, asscientists strive for the best possible expla-nations about the natural world.

Scientific explanations must meet certaincriteria. They must be consistent withexperimental and observational evidencein order to make accurate predictions.They also should be logical, respect therules of evidence, be open to criticism,report methods and procedures, andreport their findings.

All scientific ideas depend on experimen-tal and observational confirmation;

all scientific knowledge is, in principle,subject to change, as new evidencebecomes available. In situations whereinformation is fragmentary, it is normal forscientific ideas to be incomplete, but thisis also where the opportunity for makingadvances may be greatest.

Fundamental concepts andprinciples for Historical Perspectives:Throughout history, diverse cultures havecontributed scientific knowledge andinventions. Modern science began toevolve rapidly in Europe several hundredyears ago. During the past two centuries,it has contributed significantly to theindustrialization of Western and non-Western cultures. Many non-Europeancultures have developed scientific ideasand solved human problems throughtechnology as well.

Changes in science usually occur as smallmodifications in extant knowledge. Thedaily work of science and engineeringresults in incremental advances in ourunderstanding of the world and our abilityto meet human needs and aspirations.

Occasionally, there are advances in scienceand technology that have important andlong-lasting effects on science and society.The historical perspective of scientific expla-nations demonstrates how scientific knowl-edge changes by evolving over time, almostalways building on earlier knowledge.

References:National Science EducationStandards, National Academy Press,Washington, DC, 1996.

The Process ofInventionOrville and Wilbur Wright were masters ofinquiry. Inquiry is a multifaceted activitythat involves making observations; posingquestions; examining books and othersources of information; planning investiga-tions; using tools to gather, analyze, andinterpret data; proposing answers, explana-tions, and predictions; and communicatingthe results. The Wright brothers used criti-cal and logical thinking skills when consid-ering alternative theories of aviation.

Students should engage in inquiry as theycome to know the natural world and even-tually develop the capacity to conductcomplete inquiries. Students should devel-op an understanding of what science is,what science is not, what science can andcannot do, and how science contributes toculture. Students need to become scientif-ically literate citizens with an understand-ing of the nature of science and its rela-tionship to mathematics and technology.

“Scientific literacy means that a personcan ask, find, or determine answers toquestions derived from curiosity abouteveryday experiences. It means that aperson has the ability to describe,explain, and predict natural phenomena.Scientific literacy entails being able toread with understanding articles aboutscience in the press and to engage insocial conversation about the validity ofthe conclusions. Scientific literacy hasdifferent degrees and forms; it expandsand deepens over a lifetime, not just dur-ing the years in school. Attitudes and val-ues established toward science in theearly years will shape a person’s develop-ment of scientific literacy as an adult.”

Poster CreditsThis poster was developed by the NASAHeadquarters’ Education Division, Officeof Human Resources and Education, FrankC. Owens, Director of Education. AnneHolbrook, NASA Einstein Fellow, createdthe poster with oversight from DebbieGallaway, Assistant Director of Programsfor the U.S. Centennial of FlightCommission and William E. Anderson,Partnership Manager for Education, Officeof Aerospace Technology. The followingindividuals were consulted during thedevelopment of the poster: LindaHallenbeck, Teacher in Residence forGovernor Bob Taft of Ohio, and KarenGarr, Teacher in Residence for GovernorJim Hunt of North Carolina.

Vladimir Herrera and Leslie Lien, twographic artists in the NASA HeadquartersPrinting and Design Office, did theposter layout. Their combined creativetalents and patience throughout thedesign process of this project are muchappreciated.

The following individuals and organiza-tions provided images and/or informationthat were used on “The Wright Way: TheProcess of Invention” poster:

Fred Fisk, author of The Wright Brothersfrom Bicycle to Biplane, provided theimage of the “Wright Bros. Cycle” adfrom High School Times, April, 1897.

Ted Huetter, at the Dryden FlightResearch Center Education office, pro-vided ideas and aircraft images.

The Library of Congress archives provid-ed the Wind Tunnel image.

The National Air and Space Museum,Smithsonian Institution, provided theimages A-4189 and A-442710. Specialthanks to Kate Igoe, Thomas Crouch, andPeter Jakab for their wealth of knowledgeand assistance.

The National Research Council providedtheir research and publication of theNational Science Education Standards,by the National Academy Press.

Wright State Archives, Dayton, Ohio,provided images for the poster.Special thanks to Jane Wildermuth andDawn Dewey for their dedication.

NASA Student CompetitionOpportunities!To find out more information about howstudents can participate, visit the NASAStudent Involvement Program (NSIP)Web site athttp://education.nasa.gov/nsip/index.html

Attention High School Students!The NASA Summer High SchoolApprenticeship Research Program (SHARP)and SHARP PLUS are research-basedmentorship programs. Check them out!http://education.nasa.gov/stures.html

The Flying ToyWilbur (1867-1912) and Orville Wright(1871-1948) were brothers. They lived inDayton, Ohio, at 7 Hawthorn Street. Theirolder brothers were Reuchlin and Lorin.Katharine was their younger sister. Theirfather, Milton, was a bishop in the Churchof the United Brethren in Christ. Theirmother, Susan, the daughter of a wagonmaker, made toys for her children andencouraged their curiosity. One day, BishopWright brought home a small toy “helicop-ter” made of wood with two twisted rubberbands to turn a small propeller. Wilbur andOrville played with it until it broke, thenmade new copies of the toy themselves.They also sold toys to their friends, includ-ing handmade kites. The Wright brothersdid things together from the time they weresmall boys.

The Bicycle BusinessThe Wright brothers went into the printingbusiness together in 1889. Three yearslater, they opened their first bicycle shop.Initially, they sold and repaired bicycles.They would replace spokes, fix brokenchains, and sell accessories. In 1896, theybegan to build their own brand of bicycles.The Wright brothers’ experiences with bicy-cles aided them in their investigations offlight. They used the technology theylearned from their bicycle business in theirairplanes: chains, sprockets, spoke wires,ball bearings, and wheel hubs. Theirthoughts on balancing and controlling theiraircraft were also rooted in their experienceas cyclists.

The Search for ControlOrville and Wilbur Wright were convincedof the need to control an aircraft in three

axes of motion. An elevator, or horizontalcontrol surface, in front of the wings ontheir aircraft, enabled the pilot to controlclimb and descent (pitch axis). The elevatorwas controlled by a lever in the pilot’s lefthand. A “wingwarping” system controlledthe aircraft in a roll (roll axis). To initiate aroll, the pilot would shift his hips from sideto side in a cradle on the lower wing, “twist-ing” the wings left or right or restoring themto level flight. Orville and Wilbur developedthis idea from observing birds in flight. Theyobserved the buzzards keeping their bal-ance by twisting their wings and sometimescurving one wing more than the other. In1902, the brothers added a vertical rudderto the rear of their machine to control theleft and right motion of the nose of the air-craft (yaw axis).

The Kite/Glider ExperimentsThe Wright brothers began their aeronauti-cal research in 1899. Their first aircraft wasa small kite with a five-foot wingspan thatwas used to test their notions of aircraftcontrol. In 1900, they built their firstmachine designed to carry a pilot andchose Kitty Hawk, NC, as a suitable testingground. With its strong steady winds, openareas, and tall sandy dunes, the area wasperfect for their experiments. When their1900 aircraft produced less lift thanexpected, the Wright brothers flew it as akite and gathered information that wouldenable them to design improved machines.They returned to Kitty Hawk in 1901 with anew glider that did not perform as theyexpected. While they had learned a greatdeal with their first two machines, they hadalso encountered new puzzles and dangers.

The Wind TunnelTo simulate flight conditions, the Wrightstested small model wings in a wind tunnelthey had built. The wind tunnel was a boxwith a fan at one end that blew a steadystream of air over model wings mounted ona special “balance” inside the tunnel. Usingthis device, the brothers were able to gath-er information that could be used to designthe wings of the gliders and powered air-craft that would carry them into the air.The wind tunnel provided them with infor-mation on the most satisfactory wingshape. It also enabled them to calculate thesize of wing that would be required to liftthem into the air, the performance of theirpropellers, and the amount of power thattheir engine would have to produce. Theybased the design of their next glider on thisinformation.

Controlling the AircraftDuring the 1901 glider tests, the Wrightbrothers had discovered that “wingwarp-ing” created unequal drag on the twowings. Key to solving the control problemwas the addition of a rudder to the gliderdesign in 1902. They developed a directlinkage between the rudder and warpingsystem. With the success of this systemdesign, the Wrights were ready to moveonto a powered aircraft.

The SolutionAt Kill Devil Hills, NC, at 10:35 am, theWright 1903 Flyer took off under its ownpower with Orville as the pilot. It flew 12seconds and went a distance of 37 meters.Orville and Wilbur took turns making threemore flights that morning. Wilbur was atthe controls for the fourth and longestflight, traveling 260 meters in 59 seconds.

The Wright 1903 Flyer became the firstpowered, heavier-than-air machine toachieve controlled, sustained flight with apilot aboard. Today, this amazing flyinginvention can be viewed as it is suspendedoverhead, at the National Air and SpaceMuseum in Washington, DC.(www.nasm.edu/nasm/nasmexh.html)

The Wright 1904 FlyerHaving achieved success in North Carolina,the Wright brothers decided to continuetheir experiments closer to home. Theybuilt and flew their second powered air-plane at Huffman Prairie, a pasture eightmiles east of Dayton, Ohio. Progress wasslow without the strong, steady winds ofKitty Hawk, but the brothers did achievethe first circular flight of an airplane onSeptember 20, 1904. This first completecircle flight lasted only 1 minute 36 sec-onds and covered 1,244 meters. Stabilityproblems still plagued the Wright brothers’invention. The modifications made during1904 helped but did not solve the stabilityproblem.

The Wright 1905 FlyerThis Flyer was the world’s first practical air-plane. During more than 40 flights atHuffman Prairie, the machine was repeat-edly banked, turned, circled, and flown infigure eights. On two occasions the flightexceeded half an hour. Wilbur and OrvilleWright, brilliant self-trained engineers, hadovercome complex technical problems thathad barred the way to mechanical flight forcenturies. Think about how their inventionhas changed our world!

The Wright Brothers’ Story Activities for Grades K–12

Objectives: The students willconstruct a flying model gliderand determine its weightand balance.

Teacher background:On December 17, 1903, Wilbur andOrville Wright became the first humansto fly a controllable, powered airplane. Tounravel the mysteries of flight, the broth-ers built and experimented extensivelywith model gliders. Gliders are airplaneswithout motors or a power source.Building and flying model gliders helpedthe Wright brothers learn and understandthe importance of weight and balance inairplanes. If the weight of the airplane isnot positioned properly, the airplane willnot fly. They also learned that the designof an airplane was very important.

The Wright Flyer was the first plane tocomplete a controlled takeoff and land-ing. Airplanes use control surfaces tomanage flight direction. Elevators arecontrol surfaces that make the nose ofthe airplane move up and down. A rudderis used to move the nose of the aircraftleft and right. On modern airplanes,ailerons are used to roll the airplane intoa turn. The Flyer used a technique calledwingwarping to initiate a turn.

In research and development, model air-craft are used to develop new concepts,create new designs, and test ideas in avi-ation. Some models fly by remote con-trol, others are tested in wind tunnels.Information learned from models is animportant part of NASA’s aeronautical

research program. The goals of researchare to make aircraft fly safer, perform bet-ter, and become more efficient.

This activity is designed to help studentslearn about basic aircraft design and toexplore the effects of weight and balanceon the flight characteristics of a modelglider. Students will use science processskills to construct and fly a Styrofoam™glider. Younger students will need to havethe pieces traced and cut out for them.They should only move one surface at atime, and only after they have had anopportunity to “play” with their glider.Older students should also have theopportunity to test their gliders to betterunderstand the control surfaces wellenough to set up experimentallydesigned tests. The data will be sharedwithin the group/class via detailed designdrawings and graphs. Students should beencouraged to modify the glider forlonger/higher/straighter flights.

Building The Glider K–3 students will need assistance cuttingand constructing the glider. Older studentscould act as mentors and precut the parts.The parts can also be punched out with aplastic serrated knife, poster pin, or sharppencil.

Construction and ExperimentationAsk students to name some materials thatmight be used to build a model glider.

Explain to students that Styrofoam™ islightweight and strong which makes it anideal material to construct model gliders.

Distribute the materials to each group ofstudents.

Explain that the template is a guide to cutout the parts for the airplane.

Use sandpaper or an emery board tosmooth the edges.

Have the students assemble the glider byinserting the wings and elevator into thefuselage slots.

The students may add personal touches.Civilian aircraft have a letter or letterspreceding the aircraft’s identificationnumber indicating the country in which itis registered. For example, Mexico uses

the letter “X” and the United States is“N.” Students may apply N-numbers totheir models. Caution the students not tothrow gliders toward other students.Eye protection is advisable.

The model glider’s weight must be bal-anced or distributed properly before itwill fly well. To demonstrate this, ask astudent to launch a glider before addingweight. Have students describe andrecord the flight characteristics.

Add weight to the model using paperclips, binder clips, or a penny. Attach thepaper clip or glue a penny to the nose ofthe glider. If a binder clip is used, attachit to the bottom of the fuselage. Ask thestudents to test fly the glider and observethe flight characteristics.

Move the weight forward or backward onthe fuselage to determine the best weightand balance for the glider. Try to find theweight and balance combination thatallows the glider to fly the greatest distance.

DiscussionAre weight and balance important on“real” aircraft?

(The total weight of the cargo and pas-sengers of any airplane has certain limitsand is distributed to keep the planeproperly balanced. Flights should not beattempted if an aircraft is overloaded, orif the cargo distribution makes the planetoo “nose heavy” or “tail heavy.”)

Using the model glider, the students willexplain how they determined the weightand balance for their glider.

Hint: The weight of the model glider mustbe balanced before it will fly successfully.To determine the “Center of Gravity” of theglider, the model can be balanced muchlike a pencil on their finger (diagram).

Challenge for older studentsCarefully cut out the flaps and aileronsalong the solid lines. (figures on panel 7)

The Wright brothers used “wingwarping”to turn their airplane to the right or left.Modern aircraft use ailerons to initiate aroll. Ailerons work in opposition to oneanother. If the left aileron is in the upposition, the right aileron must be in thedown position and vise versa. Ask yourstudents to experiment with the aileronsby bending them up or down along thedashed lines.

Bend each flap down along the dashedline into the same position below thewing. How are the flight characteristics ofthe glider affected with the flaps in thedown position?

Set up a course for students to demon-strate the flight characteristics of their glid-ers. The students may cut off 2 cm of eachwing, and record a new series of flight test-ing data. Develop new wing designs.Research wind tunnels and build one totest various wing lengths, shapes, and sizes.

Use these NASA Educator Resourcesto teach and reinforce flight con-cepts:

Grades K–12The Beginner’s Guide to Aerodynamics athttp://www.lerc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/bga.htm

Grades K–4Aeronautics: An Educator’s Guide withActivities in Science, Mathematics, andTechnology Education, EG-1998-09-105-HQ.

Grades 5–8Exploring Aeronautics, a CD-ROM,includes an introduction to aeronautics,fundamentals of flight, a historical time-line, and different types of aircraft. TheCD teaches students to use the tools ofaeronautics to test aircraft designs.Developed by NASA Ames ResearchCenter, EC-1998-03-002-ARC.

Grades 9-12FoilSim, developed at the NASA GlennResearch Center, is interactive simula-tion software that determines the airflowaround various shapes of airfoils.Download from: http://www.lerc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/aerosim/

Extension ActivityDesign a space vehicle to transport peo-ple and goods to the International Space

Station and beyond—applying aeronauti-cal principles for an aircraftdesign/model and research project.

If the Wright brothers were living today,they might be researching new forms ofpower and types of structures, conduct-ing experiments, and designing modelsto develop the new Space Shuttle. TheSpace Shuttle is the world’s firstreusable spacecraft, and the first space-craft in history that can carry large satel-lites both to and from orbit. The SpaceShuttle launches like a rocket, maneu-vers in Earth orbit like a spacecraft, andlands like an airplane. Each of the fourSpace Shuttle orbiters now in opera-tion—Columbia, Discovery, Atlantis, andEndeavour—is designed to fly at least 100missions. NASA is prepared to continueflying the Shuttle for at least the nextdecade. What will happen then?Engineers and scientists are busy at worknow on Advanced Space TransportationSystems to replace the Space Shuttle.

Apply the principles learned from theglider experiences. Take into accountcurrent experimental designs, and the

Wrights’ work in aerodynamics, stability,flight control, power, and structure.Design and build a model of a new air-craft to transport people and goods tothe International Space Station andbeyond. Keep in mind that NASAbelieves in developing safe, reliable, andaffordable transportation. Present areport describing your investigation.

To learn more, visit thefollowing sites:Shuttle Basicshttp://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/reference/basics/index.html

NASA Scientific and TechnicalInformation: http://www.sti.nasa.gov/

NASA’s X-Glidershttp://spacelink.nasa.gov/products/X.Gliders/

X-38 Home Pagewww.dfrc.nasa.gov/projects/X38/intro.html

X-38 Image Gallerywww.dfrc.nasa.gov/gallery/photo/

X-43A Home Pagewww.dfrc.nasa.gov/projects/hyperx/x43.html

X-43A Image Gallerywww.dfrc.nasa.gov/gallery/photo/HyperX/index.html

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Educator Resource Center Network (ERCN) To make additional information available to the educationcommunity, NASA has created the NASA Educator ResourceCenter (ERC) network. Educators may preview, copy, orreceive NASA materials at these sites. Phone calls are wel-come if you are unable to visit the ERC that serves your geo-graphic area. A list of the centers and the regions they serveincludes:

Regional Educator Resource Centers offer more educatorsaccess to NASA educational materials. NASA has formedpartnerships with universities, museums, and other educa-tional institutions to serve as regional ERCs in many states. Acomplete list of regional ERCs is available through CORE, orelectronically via NASA Spacelink athttp://spacelink.nasa.gov/ercn/

NASA's Education Home Page serves as a cyber-gateway toinformation regarding educational programs and servicesoffered by NASA for the American education community.This high-level directory of information provides specificdetails and points of contact for all of NASA's educationalefforts, Field Center offices, and points of presence withineach state. Visit this resource at the following address:http://education.nasa.gov

NASA Spacelink is one of NASA's electronic resourcesspecifically developed for the educational community.

Spacelink is a “virtual library” in which local files and hun-dreds of NASA World Wide Web links are arranged in amanner familiar to educators. Using the Spacelink searchengine, educators can search this virtual library to find infor-mation regardless of its location within NASA. Specialevents, missions, and intriguing NASA Web sites are featuredin Spacelink's “Hot Topics” and “Cool Picks” areas.Spacelink may be accessed at: http://spacelink.nasa.gov

NASA Spacelink is the official home to electronic versions ofNASA's Educational Products. A complete listing of NASAEducational Products can be found at the following address:http://spacelink.nasa.gov/products

NASA Television (NTV) features Space Shuttle mission cov-erage, live special events, interactive educational live shows,electronic field trips, aviation and space news, and historicalNASA footage. Programming includes a 3-hour block forVideo (News) File, NASA Gallery, and Education File.Programming begins at noon Eastern standard time and isrepeated five more times throughout the day. Live feeds pre-empt regularly scheduled programming.

Check the Internet for programs listings at: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information on NTV, contact: NASA TV NASA Headquarters Code P-2 Washington, DC 20546-0001 Phone: (202) 358-3572

NASA Resources for Educators

AK, Northern CA, HI, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY NASA Educator ResourceCenter Mail Stop 253-2 NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000 Phone: (650) 604-3574

IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI NASA Educator ResourceCenter Mail Stop 8-1 NASA Glenn Research Center 21000 Brookpark Road Cleveland, OH 44135-3191 Phone: (216) 433-2017

CT, DE, DC, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT NASA Educator ResourceLaboratory Mail Code 130.3 NASA Goddard Space FlightCenter

Greenbelt, MD 20771-0001 Phone: (301) 286-8570

CO, KS, NE, NM, ND, OK, SD,TX Space Center Houston NASA Educator ResourceCenter for NASA Johnson Space Center 1601 NASA Road One Houston, TX 77058-3696 Phone: (281) 244-2129

FL, GA, PR, VI NASA Educator ResourceCenter Mail Code ERC NASA Kennedy Space CenterKennedy Space Center, FL32899-0001 Phone: (321) 867-4090

Virginia Air & Space Center Educator Resource Center for NASA Langley Research Center 600 Settlers Landing Road Hampton, VA 23669-4033 Phone: (757) 727-0900 x 757

AL, AR, IA, LA, MO, TN U.S. Space and Rocket Center NASA Educator ResourceCenter for NASA Marshall Space FlightCenter One Tranquility Base Huntsville, AL 35812-0001Phone: (256) 544-5812

MS NASA Educator ResourceCenter Building 1200 NASA Stennis Space Center Stennis Space Center, MS39529-6000 Phone: (228) 688-3965

NASA JPL Educator Resource CenterVillage at Indian Hill 1460 East Holt Avenue, Suite 20 NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Pomona, CA 91767 Phone: (909) 397-4420

AZ and Southern CA NASA Educator ResourceCenter for NASA Dryden Flight ResearchCenter 45108 N. 3rd Street East Lancaster, CA 93535 Phone: (661) 948-7347

VA and MD's Eastern Shores NASA Educator ResourceCenter Visitor Center Building J-17 GSFC/Wallops Flight Facility Wallops Island, VA 23337 Phone: (757) 824-2298

EW-2000-11-133-HQThe Wright Way: The Process of InventionPlease provide feedback on how this poster has been used.Complete the survey athttps://ehb2.gsfc.nasa.gov/edcats/educational_wallsheet

National Education Standards

National Research Council ScienceContenthttp://bob.nap.edu/readingroom/books/nses/html#content

NCTM Mathematics Content Standards http://standardse.nctm.org/1.0/89ces/Table_of_Contents.html

National Geographyhttp://www.tapr.org/~ird/Nordick/Standards.html

National Standards for Arts Education http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/cs/design/standards

The National Educational TechnologyStandardshttp://cnets.iste.org/index.html

Related Site

Centennial of Flight Commissionhttp://www.centennialofflight.gov

Additional NASA-Related Sites

NASA “Why?” Fileshttp://whyfiles.larc.nasa.gov

NASA CONNECT Series http://edu.larc.nasa.gov/connect/

NASA Jobs http://www.nasajobs.nasa.gov

NASA Headquarters News Releases http://www.nasa.gov/releases/1999/

NASA Shuttle Missionshttp://www.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/missions.html

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory MissionStatus Reports http://www.jpl.nasa.gov

NASA Technology Success Stories http://nctn.hq.nasa.gov/success/index.html

NASA QUEST “WEBCASTS,” Interactive Events for Students http://quest.arc.nasa.gov

NASA Field Center Precollege Contacts http://education.nasa.gov/precoll.html

NASA Educational Workshops forTeachers http://education.nasa.gov/new

NASA Student Involvement Program http://education.nasa.gov/nsip

National Coalition for Aviation Education(NCAE) http://www.aviationeducation.org

Take Our Daughters to Work http://iita.ivv.nasa.gov/happenings/event_2.html

NASA Field Center Education HomePages

Ames Research Centerhttp://www.arc.nasa.gov/kids.html

Dryden Flight Research Centerhttp://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/trc/

Glenn Research Center http://www.grc.nasa.gov/Doc/educatn.htm

Goddard Space Flight Center http://education.gsfc.nasa.gov

Jet Propulsion Laboratory http://eis.jpl.nasa.gov/eao/

Johnson Space Flight Centerhttp://spaceflight.nasa.gov/outreach/index.html

Kennedy Space Center http://www.pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/educate/educate.htm

Langley Research Center http://edu.larc.nasa.gov

Marshall Space Flight Centerhttp://www1.msfc.nasa.gov/EDUCATION/index.html

Stennis Space Center http://wwwedu.ssc.nasa.gov/

Educational Research Sites

NASA X-PlanesX-38

Powerplant: noneMax speed: 230 mphRange: N/AOperational ceiling: 50,000 ft(drop from B-52)Weight: 14,000 lbSpan: 15'Length: 24'Height: 12'

X-43A

Powerplant: GASL, Inc. scramjetengineMax speed: Mach 10Range: 575 milesOperational ceiling: 100,000 ftWeight: Approx. 2,200 lbSpan: 5'Length: 12'Height: 2'

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Documents

The Wright Way: The Process of Invention poster pdfteacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlnasa/otherprint/poster/ProcessofInvention.pdf · process of science. Fundamental concepts and principles