Taking flight into
Aerospace Engineering

Have you ever wondered how planes fly or what it means to be a rocket scientist? Wonder no more.

In this class we will explore everything from aerodynamics to propulsion systems to control surfaces. Learn the difference between aeronautics and astronautics, how Newton’s Laws of Motion allow rockets to travel through space, and the physics behind an airplane's ability to seemingly defy gravity.

Over the course of the class students will design, build, and decorate 3 different balsa wood gliders from scratch, utilizing the knowledge they've learned of wing theory, stability, and structure to optimize their designs. By building multiple gliders you'll get the chance to experience the most important part of the engineering design process: testing and improving. Don't worry if your first glider isn't perfect — as an engineer you learn that your first design is never going to be your best and there is always room for learning and improvement!

Each student will also get to build and launch a model rocket that will travel hundreds of feet in the air! You'll even get to keep the rocket you build (if the wind doesn't carry it away).

CONCEPT EXPOSURE

• Anatomy of a rocket
• Airplane control surfaces
• Lift, drag, and thrust
• Wing shapes
• History of aeronautics and astronautics
• Center of gravity and center of pressure
• Newton’s Laws of Motion
• Free body diagrams

PRACTICAL SKILLS

• Engineering design process and testing procedures
• Real-world applications of physics principles
• Wood modeling and crafting

Note: Rockets may be unrecoverable due to wind, trees, etc. We do not provide extra rockets to replace ones that get lost.