Learning to Fly: The Wright Brothers Adventure pdf - ER - NASA

Background informationOrville and Wilbur’s tunnel was not the first wind tunnel ever constructed, but it was the first that gave accurate and usefuldata. It was also the first tunnel that could be used to verify earlier testing results and design future aircraft. For a windtunnel to give accurate information, the flow of air needs to be as free of turbulence as possible, so the brothers used gridsto straighten the airstream. Students should recognize that testing small-scale models saves time and expense.For further information, see http://wright.nasa.gov/airplane/tunnel.htmlAssessment activityCheck student answers against the Activity Answers section.Activity 12: Operate the Wrights’ TunnelObjectiveThe student will1. Become more familiar with how a wind tunnel operates2. Recognize that some wing forms give better lift3. Understand how the Wrights gathered data from wind tunnel experimentsNational Science StandardsEvidence, Models, and ExplanationChange, Constancy, and MeasurementForm and FunctionUnderstanding Scientific InquiryAbilities of Technological DesignNature of ScienceNational Math StandardsCommunicationNumbers and Number RelationshipsPatternsStatisticsGeometryMeasurementDescriptionStudents operate a virtual Wright wind tunnel on a computer and collect data on a variety of wing forms actually used bythe Wrights.Time requirements45 minutesMaterialsInternet accessPencilProceduresStudents print out a data form and then follow a set of activities in which they compare different aspects of wing design.They graph their results to draw conclusions.Background informationThe simulation in this activity operates in the same way as the Wrights’ original tunnel. The student can choose from any ofthe wing shapes tested by the Wrights (taken from the actual models now housed in the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia)and collect data in the same way they did. The student places a wing model in the tunnel, starts the fan, and then adjusts forthe drag caused by the balance itself. The angle is read and the data graphed. The students should discover that long, thinwings give the best results.For further information, see http://wright.nasa.gov/airplane/tunnlint.htmlAssessment activityThe students could be given several of the wing forms at random and asked to comment on which might give the bestresults based on the data they have just collected. They can also compare graphs and discuss the best results.Learning to Fly: The Wright Brothers’ Adventure94EG–2002–12–007–GRC