Up in the Air
It’s a bird, it’s a plane…what is that in the air and, more importantly, how did it get there? For
thousands of years, humans have looked into the sky and wondered how the objects they saw flying in
the sky stayed aloft. Flight takes many forms, from seeds drifting in the wind, birds soaring on warm
air thermals, to rockets blasting through the atmosphere. Nature perfected flight and, for thousands of
years, humans tried to copy it but the feat proved to be quite elusive and became almost magical. The
Greeks created Icarus, who flew on wings of wax. Russian and Arabian folk tales told of flying carpets.
Eventually however, humans found that the mechanics of flight came down to the relationship
between gravity, lift, thrust and drag, and not long after, humans were flying to the moon.

Background Information
Humans have dreamed about flying for thousands of years. In the mid-15th century, an anonymous
manuscript was found that depicted a design for a parachute. Around 1485, Leonardo da Vinci
sketched plans for an ornithopter, an aircraft that flies by flapping wings. However his design was
heavy and no one was strong enough to actually flap the wings. Hot air balloons are classified as
“lighter-than-air” aircrafts, and were first introduced to
the world in 1783. Almost 70 years later, Henri
Giffard, a French engineer, created the first powered
aircraft: a steam engine powered airship or dirigible
(balloon filled with hydrogen). Airships were the first
aircraft to enable controlled, powered flight, and were
widely used before the 1940s.

The first glider was invented in 1804 by English

engineer, George Cayley. A few years later,
American Samuel Langley invented the first steam
powered model, but could not create a version that
could be piloted by a human. Based on the work of
these aviation pioneers, it was the Wright brothers, in
1903, who finally achieved powered, heavier-than-air, Ornithopter (Source: www.aviastar.org)
human flight. Their patented wing warping design allowed the pilot to control the plane. Since then,
there have been many advances in flight, with the impetus of two world wars and the development of
rockets and space exploration.

What is Flight?
Flight is the process by which an object moves through the atmosphere or beyond it, using lift, thrust,
buoyancy or ballistics and with no direct support from a surface. There are many different forms of
flight and all can be found in nature. The simplest form of flight is parachuting, which is when a fall is
controlled using a large surface area to create drag. This is how dandelion or milkweed seeds are
spread. A slightly more advanced form of flight is gliding. Gliding differs from parachuting in that
descent is at an angle, takes advantage of an airfoil design (e.g. wings) to create lift and generally
uses streamlining to reduce drag. Think of a hang-glider or imagine a flying squirrel. Many bird species
use gliding, during flight, to save energy. Soaring is similar to gliding but is generally seen only in large
birds and requires specific atmospheric conditions. It occurs when birds use rising air to carry them to
higher altitudes and is useful because it conserves energy. The most sophisticated form of flight in
nature is powered flight. This is when wings are flapped for power and move up and down to create lift
so that the animal can ascend. Human powered flight could not have been achieved without an
understanding of flight as it exists in nature.

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How Flight Works

The four forces that are involved in flight are gravity, lift, thrust and drag. Gravity is a force that attracts
bodies toward each other and which manifests itself as weight. It acts downward toward the centre of
the Earth, and plays a large role in preventing things from getting off the ground. Lift is a force that
pushes upward on the flying object – opposite to weight.
For flight to occur, the force associated with lift must be
greater than weight. Drag is also referred to as
aerodynamic resistance and acts to slow down the
flying object. It works in the opposite direction to the
direction of flight. Thrust is the force that creates
forward motion. It must overcome drag or there will be
no forward flight movement.
Source: www.inventors.about.com
Lighter-than-air flight can be powered or unpowered. Lift in these types of aircraft is created using a
gas that is less dense than the surrounding air. In a hot air balloon, the air inside the balloon is heated.
As warm air rises, it pushes up against the inside of the balloon causing it to rise; the colder the
surrounding air, the more the lift. This is why you tend to see hot air balloons in the sky in the morning
when the air is still cool. Alternatives to warm air include hydrogen and helium gases that are less
dense than air. Dirigibles, like Blimps and Zeppelins, rise because they use helium gas for lift.
Hydrogen was originally used to fly airships; however, it is extremely flammable and is no longer used.
The Hindenburg, a famous dirigible, was flown using hydrogen gas and it has been suggested that it
was the ignition of this gas that caused the famous explosion. This 1937 disaster was the end of this
type of passenger air travel.

A glider is an example of heavier-than-air flight that is not powered. Large gliders must be towed by an
airplane to a high altitude before they can fly. Hang-gliders can be launched off the side of a cliff. The
lift for flight is influenced by the shape of the wing. Some gliders can be manoeuvred like a
conventional plane using ailerons, elevators and a rudder. Ailerons are flight control surfaces attached
to the trailing edge of each wing whereas elevators are flight control surfaces attached to the rear of
an aircraft. It is also necessary for the glider pilot to find warm air thermals and ridge lifts, where wind
has hit an obstacle and it has been deflected upward, to help maintain altitude in the air. Powered
heavier-than-air flight encompasses all airplanes, helicopters and
rockets. Airplanes get their thrust from either a jet engine or a
propeller. Lift is created by the shape of the wing.

Flight occurs in three dimensions, so it must also be controlled in

three dimensions. Pitch is determined by whether the plane is parallel
to the ground or not. Yaw is the direction perpendicular to the wings
Source: www.wikipedia.org
(left or right, if driving). Roll is the side to side movement, usually
noticed when one wing dips toward the ground as the other one rises. A pilot has special levers and
buttons in the cockpit to control the pitch, yaw and roll of the plane and these controls ultimately
determine how the plane will fly.

Helicopters use engines to power two rotors. The main rotor provides thrust and lift, while the tail rotor
prevents the helicopter from rotating around the centre of the main rotor assembly. Both the pitch of
the main rotor assembly and that of the individual rotor blades can be adjusted to control the
helicopter.

Rockets are a little different than other aircraft. Thrust is created by the forceful ejection of burning fuel
that powers the rocket forward. In most other aircraft, lift works in the direction opposite to weight and
perpendicular to thrust to raise the object off the ground; in rockets, thrust and weight work in
opposition to each other. In this case, wing-like fins near the bottom of the rocket are used to stabilize
and steer the rocket.
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Activity 1: A Wing for Every Purpose & How Does It Fly?

Time: 30 minutes Learning Goal: The students will learn about wing shapes and how
things fly.
Other Applications: Biology
Procedure:
Key Terms: thrust, drag, lift, 1. Hand out the “Flight Descriptions” information sheet and the “A
gravity Wing for Every Purpose” worksheet to each student.
2. Ask students to read through the “Flight Descriptions”. Instruct
Group size: Individual
the students to identify and write the “Flight Description” number
on the “A Wing for Every Purpose” worksheet so that it
Materials (per student):
corresponds to the description in the box beside the bird or
□ “Flight Descriptions” machine that uses that type of flight.
information sheet 3. Next, ask students to draw a line to match the bird wing to the
aircraft that has the most similar wing design.
□ “A Wing for Every
Purpose” worksheet 4. Hand out a “How Does It Fly?” worksheet to each student. For
each type of flying object, have students briefly describe the
□ “How Does It Fly?” thrust, lift and drag acting on that object. Teacher answer sheets
worksheet are provided for both worksheets.

□ pencil Observations:
The size and shape of a wing depends on what it is being used for,
regardless of whether the wing is found in nature or is
manufactured. For example, large sea birds and hang-gliders both
need long wings to attain a lot of lift and maintain long gliding
periods. All things that fly need lift in order to get off the ground but
that lift, as well as the thrust that causes flying things to move,
comes in many forms.

Source: http://www.lcse.umn.edu/

Discussion:
The definition for flight can vary greatly. It can encompass anything
from time spent aloft to powered movement through the air. The
students can discuss what they think flight is and how it can vary
from slowed descent (e.g. parachutes and dandelion seeds) to
powered transport (e.g. birds and airplanes).

The students may need some guidance filling out the “How Things
Source: www.exploration.grc.nasa.gov Fly” worksheet for the rocket. Rockets differ from other powered
aircraft. It may be helpful to draw a rocket on the board, showing all
four forces – gravity (weight), lift, drag and thrust - and illustrate how
they act on the rocket as it rises straight up in the air.
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Flight Descriptions
For use with the “A Wing for Every Purpose” worksheet

A glider has no engine and must access thermals or pockets of rising air in order to
1 stay aloft.

A swallow has relatively small, narrow, tapering wings. These wings can be flapped
2 rapidly to provide speed with very little drag. The fastest flyers in the bird world, such
as falcons and swifts, have wings of this shape.

Hummingbirds can hover in one spot or quickly move forward, backward, sideways, and
3 straight up or down. They can flap their wings up to 100 times per second.

Many seabirds like albatrosses have long, narrow, pointed wings for gliding long
4 distances with the ocean winds. The length of their wings helps to generate a lot of
lift.
Forest birds, like blue jays and crows, have short, rounded wings which allow rapid
5 takeoffs, good manoeuvrability and short glides. They are adapted for quick sharp
turns between trees.

Bush planes must be able to make short takeoff and landings and they often carry
6 heavy loads.

Helicopters create their thrust upwards with their rotors. They are able to change the
7 angle of their rotors to allow great manoeuvrability. Some airplanes, for example
Harrier jets, can hover.

8 Fighter jets, with their delta-shaped wings, are able to manoeuver at very high speeds.

Long, broad eagle wings have a large surface area for soaring for long periods of time.
9 They also have spaces between the feathers at the ends to help reduce drag and are
used for fine control at slow speeds.

Commercial airliners have long thick wings in order to carry heavy loads for long
10 distances. They have flaps that are adjusted for takeoffs and landings.

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Name:__________________

A Wing for Every Purpose

1. Enter the correct number from the “Flight Descriptions” information sheet in the
appropriate box below.
2. Draw lines to match the naturally shaped bird wing on the left to the similarly shaped man–
made wing on the right.

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“A Wing for Every Purpose”

Teacher Answer Sheet

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Name:_________________

How Does It Fly?

Flying Object Thrust Drag Lift

Parachute

Helicopter

Hot air balloon

Flying squirrel

Rocket

Bird

Glider

Non-rigid airship
(e.g. blimp)

Airplane

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“How Does it Fly?” Teacher Answer Sheet

Type of Flight Thrust Drag Lift

Double layer that can
Parachute None Fabric of parachute be shaped
into an air foil
Shape of the
Tilting of the spinning helicopter and friction Spinning of the rotor
Helicopter
rotor blades of the blades blades
against the air
The air inside the
balloon is hotter
Air pushing the
Hot air balloon None than the air outside.
balloon around
Hotter air is less
dense and will rise
Skin and fur flaps
Changing the shape
Flying squirrel None between fore
of the wing flap
and rear legs

Friction between the Works on the side of

Expulsion of burning gas
Rocket moving body of the the rocket to
from bottom of rocket
rocket and the air stabilize flight*

Shape of the bird and

Shape of the wing
Bird Flapping of wings friction of air
(air foil)
at wing tips

None; gravity can create Shape of the glider Long wings with
Glider
thrust (e.g. flight downhill) and wings ailerons

Non-rigid airship Helium

Engines Shape of the airship
(blimp) (lighter than air)

Shape of the wing

Airplane Engines Shape of the plane
(air foil)

* Rocket - With most aircraft, the direction of flight (thrust) is perpendicular to the force of gravity,
but rocket thrust is directed in the opposite direction than that of gravity. Hence lift provides vertical
stability and can be used to steer the rocket and prevent it from spinning around the centre axis of the
rocket.

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Activity 2: Make and Fly a Take-tombo

Time: 60 minutes Learning Goal: The students will learn how rotors and pitch work in
flight.
Key terms: pitch, leading
edge, trailing edge A take-tombo is a toy helicopter rotor that originated in China
around 400 BC. When made out of wood and shaped using power
Other Applications: Math tools, it can rise several metres into the air.

Group size: Individual Procedure:

1. Plug in the glue gun to heat up. Ensure the use of the glue gun
Materials (per student): is done with supervision.
□ hot glue gun (for class 2. Have the students cut the sharp tip off the bamboo skewer.
use) 3. Open up the paper clip and straighten it as much as possible.
Wrap the middle of the paper clip around the skewer about
□ thick bamboo skewer 5 mm from one end of the skewer. Make sure it is as tight as
(~ 4 mm x 24 cm long) possible and that the two equally long ends are sticking out
perpendicular to the skewer.
□ 2” metal paper clip
(not plastic coated) 4. Apply a dab of hot glue to the paper clip wire wrapped around
the skewer. Hold in place, at the ends, until the glue cools.
□ Styrofoam tray (minimum 5. Cut the curved edges off the Styrofoam tray. Have the students
of 14 cm x 20 cm) use a ruler to measure and draw the rotor shape (included) on
the tray and cut out two copies.
□ pen
6. Hold the skewer so that the wire is at the bottom. Place a rotor
□ scissors blade under one of the wires and as close to the skewer as
possible. Glue in place (this may need two pairs of hands).
□ craft knife When the glue has cooled, repeat with the other rotor.
7. To tune the rotors, hold the take-tombo in front of you, with the
□ ruler rotors extending to the left and right. Bend the wire so that one
rotor slants down toward you and the other slants up away from
you, while remaining perpendicular to the skewer.
8. To launch the take-tombo, place it between your palms and rub
your palms together to rotate the skewer. Let go when the
fingertips of one hand extend past the heel of the other hand.
9. Experiment with what direction to rotate the skewer – one
direction will work, the other won’t. Ask the students to use their
knowledge of air foils to figure out the correct direction of
rotation. This YouTube video demonstrates this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBXT4fo-27c (20/07/14).

Paper clip wire and hot glue 10. Challenge students to see who can get their take-tombo to fly
on skewer the longest.
11. Ask students to experiment with the pitch of their rotors. Have
them adjust the pitch of the rotors to find the best angle for flight.
Hint: each rotor should be slanted by the same amount.

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10 cm 

2 cm 

Use a ruler to draw this shape on the Styrofoam tray

Observations:
When the take-tombo is spun in the correct direction, the rotor will rise and spin for a few seconds
before falling to the ground. If the take-tombo is spun in the wrong direction, it will just drop to the
ground when released. The more the blades are angled (the larger the pitch), the more lift there will
be, but the shaft (skewer) will need to be spun faster to overcome the additional drag.

Discussion:
The take-tombo is also known as a bamboo-copter, bamboo dragonfly or Chinese top. George Cayley,
the inventor of modern aeronautics, based some of his early experiments on this toy. The principles at
work that make the take-tombo fly are the same as the winged fruits (samaras) from maple trees.

Helicopters are also designed using this concept. The pitch of the rotors can be adjusted during take-
off and flight to change the amount of lift generated. Airplane propellers are simply rotors tipped ninety
degrees. Instead of generating lift, they create thrust. Can the students come up with any other
examples either in nature or industry that use rotors?

Extension:
1. The take-tombo can be modified using a piece of sandpaper. Using a gentle touch, round the
corners on the leading edges of the rotor blades and taper the trailing edge to a point. Try
launching the take-tombo again. It should fly higher and longer due to the proper airfoil shape.

The finished take-tombo showing pitch of blades (for counter-clockwise rotation).

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Activity 3: Rocket On!

Time: 30 minutes Learning goal: The students will learn about the relationship
between thrust and gravity in a rocket.
Group size: desk groups
(4 – 5 students) Caution: This activity must be done outside in an open area.

Materials (per group): Procedure:

1. Cut the valve from the inner tube and discard the inner tube.
□ Presta valve inner tube Using scissors or a craft knife, remove as much rubber from the
(ask the local bike shop
base of the valve as possible. Using the rag or glove to protect
for extras)
your fingers, push the valve into the hole in the rubber stopper. It
should be in the stopper very snugly. Set aside.
□ ¾ - 1” rubber stopper with
hole in the centre 2. Cut a 5 cm long piece of drinking straw. Tape it to the bottle
(available at swimming or near the bottom, in line with the vertical axis of the bottle. Cover
wine/beer supply stores) the top end of the straw with duct tape to close the opening
3. To make the launching stand, go to an open area outside and
□ scissors or craft knife push the garden stake into the ground as far as it will go.
Securely tape one end of the bamboo skewer to the top of the
□ rag or glove garden stake, ensuring there is about 10 cm of skewer above
the top of the stake.
□ ruler
4. Each group of students will run three different trials with different
□ 2 L pop bottle volumes of water in the bottle.
● Trial 1 – 250 ml of water
□ drinking straw
● Trial 2 – 500 ml of water
□ packing or duct tape ● Trial 3 – 1000 ml of water
□ bicycle pump (preferably 5. Fill the bottle with the desired amount of water. Push the
an upright one) stopper, with the valve inserted, securely in the opening of the
bottle. Hang the bottle upside down on the launching stand by
□ garden stake sliding the straw over the bamboo skewer. Some water may leak
out of the valve, but this is not a problem. The taped end of the
□ bamboo skewer straw should prevent the skewer from going all the way through
the straw.
□ water 6. Making sure the lock nut on the valve is open, attach it securely
to the bicycle pump and lock in place. Some bicycle pumps may
not have the lock feature.
WARNING! This next step could result in the drenching of the
person operating the pump!
7. While standing to the side of the rocket start pumping air into the
bottle and continue pumping until the air pressure in the bottle
forces the stopper out.
8. Repeat steps 5-7 for each trial amount of water. Which rocket
travelled the furthest?

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Observations:
When there is enough air pressure built-up in the bottle, the water is expelled out of the valve, and
pushes against the ground, which should launch the bottle rocket up into the air. This is Newton’s
Third Law of Motion. Depending on how much water is in the bottle, and how much pressure has built-
up in the bottle, some rockets will go higher than others. The rocket with 500 ml of water should go the
highest compared to the other two. The rocket should travel one or more meters into the air.

Discussion:
The amount of water in the bottle directly affects how high the rocket will rise. A small amount of water
will result in less thrust, but too much water will prevent the air pressure from overcoming the pull of
gravity, and the rocket won’t rise very high. The rocket with 250 ml will come off the launcher but not
rise in the air. The rocket with 1000 ml of water may not even come off the launcher. The rocket with
500 ml should have the optimal amount of water to provide enough thrust to get off the launcher and
rise into the air. However, if this rocket doesn’t rise very high, the stopper may not have been pushed
in as tightly as possible, and the rocket would be launched at a lower air pressure, resulting in a lower
flight or rise.

Discuss with the students the different reasons why their rockets may or may not have performed as
they would have liked and troubleshoot as a group to make an ideal rocket.

Extensions:
1. Have the students make and attach fins and a nose cone to the rocket. Does the flight pattern
change with these modifications? (hint: it may go higher).
2. Have the students make a parachute out of string or thread and a plastic bag. Think about how it
should be stored during flight and be deployed on the descent.
3. Have the students make a space shuttle out of a paper towel roll (body) and Bristol board (delta
wings) to launch from the water bottle, demonstrating how the rocket drops away after it has
launched the space shuttle. The shuttle can be hung on the rocket with a paper clip (on the shuttle)
and a short piece of straw (on the rocket). See images below.

Bottle rocket assembly with the valve inserted and the space shuttle attached.

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Activity 4: Full of Hot Air

Time: 1 hour Learning Goal: The students will learn how hot air can make a
balloon stay in the air.
Group size: pairs or desk
groups Procedure:
1. Lay out two sheets of the first colour of tissue paper and draw a
Materials (per group): leaf shape on it so that most of the paper is used. Cut out the
shape. Do the same for the second colour using the first sheets
□ 4 pieces of tissue paper as a template. You should now have four pieces of tissue paper
(20” x 26”); 2 different cut in a leaf shape (see illustration). These will be the sides of
colours your balloon.
□ 4 pieces of another type 2. Fold each tissue paper cut-out in half vertically and stack them
of paper (e.g. newsprint, in alternating colours. The folded edges should be lined up with
construction paper) the fold on the left.
3. Unfold the top sheet. Glue the right-hand curved edge of the top
□ pencil sheet, to the left-hand curved edge of the next sheet. Glue just
the curved edges from the tip to the bottom. Leave the straight
□ scissors edge at the bottom unglued.
□ glue pen, glue roller or 4. Unfold the second sheet and glue the right-hand curved edge of
glue sponge tip applicator the second sheet to the left-hand curved edge of the third sheet.
5. Repeat until all the pieces are attached on their curved edges.
□ 4 paper clips You should now have a closed, balloon-shaped object (see
(all the same size) photo on next page).
□ 2 elastic bands 6. Dab some glue at the top of the balloon and twist together to
(same size) close any holes. Ensure there are no places for air to escape.
7. Attach one paper clip to an open edge on one side of the
□ hair dryer balloon and another one on the open edge on the opposite side.
8. Loop elastic bands through the paper clips and hang another
paper clip on the bottom of each elastic band. This will help to
keep the balloon stable as it rises.
9. Have one student hold the hair dryer pointing up and another
student hold the balloon by the tip with the opening over the air
dryer, about 20-30 cm above it.
10. Have students experiment with what will work to get the balloon
to stay in the air:
● Turn hair dryer on low, wait 30 seconds, turn off hair drier
and release balloon – does it stay aloft, rise or fall?
● Turn hair dryer on high, wait 30 seconds, turn off hair
drier and release balloon – does it stay aloft, rise or fall?

Illustration of the shape of 11. Which setting, low or high, worked the best to keep the balloon
each of the balloon sides. in the air and why?
You will need four 12. Repeat the activity but have students build a balloon from a
of these shapes. different type of paper (e.g. newsprint or construction paper).
Ask them to compare the balloons’ abilities to float.

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Observations:
When the hot air from the hair dryer, on the high setting, fills the balloon with warm air, it should stay in
the air for a few seconds after the hair dryer is turned off before falling down. The low setting on the
hair dryer will not provide enough heat to heat the air inside the balloon sufficiently and in that case, it
will fall immediately after the hair dryer has been turned off.

There is also a certain size and shape the balloon needs to be in order for this experiment to work. If
the balloon is too skinny, it will not be able to hold enough hot air to stay in the air. If the opening at the
bottom of the balloon is too wide, the balloon won’t be able to contain the hot air and it won’t stay aloft
either. If the balloon is too wide, there will be pockets inside the balloon that the hot air won’t be able
to reach and the weight of the tissue paper will be too heavy. If some balloons are not staying aloft,
ask students to troubleshoot in their groups and give them the opportunity to remake their balloons.

Balloons made from heavier paper will not be able to rise like the tissue paper balloons. Ask students
if there are any modifications they could make to their balloon to help it to rise.

Discussion:
The students could discuss other ways to heat the air in their balloons. Traditional designs use a small
foil basket with candles in it to “sail” the balloon. Clearly, this is not safe in a classroom; however,
knowing this can generate discussion about real hot air balloons. Balloon fires are relatively rare,
partly because the balloon is partially filled with ambient air before turning on the propane burners.

Glued sides

Paper balloon with sides glued together and weights attached.

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Activity 5: Go Fly a Kite!

Time: 1 hour Learning Goal: The students will learn how size and shape affect
the way a kite flies.
Key Terms: spine, spar,
bridle Procedure:
1. Group members should work together to decide on the size and
Other Application: Math shape of the kite they would like to build.
2. To make the spine and the spar: cut the pointed ends off all the
Group size: desk groups
skewers. Cut the skewers to the desired length. Two or more
(4 - 5 students)
skewers may be needed to accomplish this. For each joint, cut
two pieces of skewer 5 cm long. Place the skewers that need to
Materials (per group):
be joined end to end on a scrap
□ 1 large garbage bag piece of paper. Place one 5 cm
(preferably orange so it piece of skewer on either side
will show up against the of the joint. Hold in place and use
sky) hot glue to join them. Let cool.
Turn the joined skewers over and
□ 6 bamboo skewers add more glue to reinforce the joint.
(~30 cm long)
3. Place the spar perpendicularly over the spine about a third of
□ scissors the way down from one end. Use the hot glue to secure it in
place. Let cool.
□ scrap paper
4. Cut the bottom seam off a large garbage bag and cut up one
□ hot glue gun side to make a piece that is one layer thick. Lay it flat on a desk
or the floor.
□ permanent marker 5. Place the skewer assembly on the plastic bag. Tape in place at
the end of each skewer.
□ metre stick
6. Using a permanent marker and a metre stick, draw lines around
□ tape the perimeter of the kite, joining the ends of the skewers.
7. Reinforce the edges of the kite by placing tape along the inside
□ duct tape of each marker line, on the inside of the kite.
□ plastic shopping bag 8. Cut the kite out following the marked lines.
9. To make the bridle, cut a piece of dental floss about 5 cm longer
□ dental floss than the spar. Tie each end to an end of the spar, just inside the
tape.
10. Tape over the entire length of the spar with the duct tape,
trapping the bridle between the duct tape and the tape on the
ends only. Tape the spine to the plastic using the tape.
11. To make the kite tail, cut off the handles and the bottom seam of
the shopping bag. Cut three vertical strips from the bag, about
3 cm wide (and 30 cm long). Tie them together with square
knots, leaving about 5 cm on either side of the knot. This will be
used later.

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12. Remove the dental floss from the container and slide the spool onto the pencil (this is your kite
string). Tie the free end to the centre of the bridle. Secure with tape.
13. Try to fly the kite on a day that has a light to moderate breeze. It is easier to launch a kite if two
people are involved. The flyer should stand with his/her back to the wind. The helper should hold
the kite about 3 m away and as high up as possible. When the flyer feels the wind tug at the kite,
he/she will tell the helper to let go. At this point, the flyer can experiment with letting line out and
how to hold the spool to keep the kite aloft.
14. Tape the tail to the bottom of the spine and fly the kite again, noting any difference(s) in how the
kite flies. If necessary, increase the length of the tail, or add a second one at the bottom of the
spine. Flying the kite now is all about trial and error.

Spar
Bridle Spine

Image of completed kite with

component parts labelled.

Tape

Observations:
The larger the kite, the stronger the wind required to get the kite aloft. A heavier wind will batter it
about and cause it to come down head first or spin in the air. If the breeze is too light, the kite will
simply not launch and drop tail first when released. The space used is also important. It needs to be a
fairly large open space (most school fields are large enough) and away from obstacles such as power
lines, trees and buildings. This is for safety, to keep the kite from getting tangled and also because
obstacles affect how the wind moves and cause turbulence that makes it difficult to control the kite.

Discussion:
Which person/group had the most success flying their kite? Did it have to do with the way it was
constructed or where they were standing? How did the addition of the tail affect the way the kite flew?

Compare how the different sizes and shapes of kites flew. Discuss the effect of the tail on the nature
of the kites’ flight. The shape of the kite will also affect how it flies. A skinnier kite will tend to spin and
require a longer tail to stay in control. A wider kite will tend to be more stable. Adding a tail will
increase the drag and reduce the spinning of the kite.

Kites fly using the principles that other flying objects do: gravity, lift, drag and thrust. The shape of the
kite is like an airfoil and provides the lift needed to get the kite in the air. Thrust is generated by the
person flying the kite applying tension to the line, as well as the force of the wind. Drag is created by

www.scientistsinschool.ca 16
 
the friction of air against the kite, hence the need for the tail and the reason that the knots were tied
with long ends.

Extension:
The diamond shaped kite is the simplest to make, but there are many other types of kites, the most
common being delta, slide and box. Challenge the students to research and make other types of kites
using the materials and methods above and test them to see which ones fly best.

Fun Fact: Kite-flying World Record in Ontario!

The Guinness Book of World Records for the highest altitude
flown by a single kite is 4,422 m. This world-breaking flight
occurred on August 12, 2000 from a flying field near Kincardine,
Ontario (Sauble Beach area)! The massive delta kite was designed
and flown by Richard Synergy. The length of line at its highest
altitude was over 7 km long and the flight was 8 h 35 min long!

Fun Fact: Flying Fish

The streamlined torpedo shape of flying fish
helps them generate enough speed to break the
water’s surface. Once airborne, they can glide
for hundreds of metres with the help of
enlarged fins that act like wings.

Fun Fact: Alive & Flying

The only living things capable of
powered flight are insects,
birds and bats.

www.scientistsinschool.ca 17
 

Teacher Resources
Literary Resources
Birds. Jackie Ball, Justine Ciovacco, Bill Doyle, Dan Franck, Uechi Ng. 2002. Gareth Stevens
Publishing. ISBN 0-8368-3210-8. Gives a basic understanding of birds and flight.

175 Science Experiments to Amuse and Amaze Your Friends. Brenda Walpole. 1988. Random
House, Inc. ISBN 0-394-89991-1. Good resource for household science experiments.

A Century of Triumph The History of Aviation. Christopher Chant. 2002. Free Press. ISBN
0743234790. A good overview of modern flight.

Wings A History of Aviation from Kites to the Space Age. Tom D. Crouch. 2003. Smithsonian National
Air and Space Museum, in association with W.W. Norton. ISBN 0393057674

Website Resources
http://airandspace.si.edu/ (05/11/15)
General information about air and space from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/vertebrates/flight/enter.html (05/11/15)
Great information regarding vertebrate flight.

http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/science/found/5to8/6c2.pdf (05/11/15)
Lesson plans for flight.

http://www.wra2.org/ (05/11/15)
Great resource for bottle rocket enthusiasts.

https://www.grantvillegazette.com/wp/article/publish-507/ (05/11/15)
The mechanics of airship propulsion.

Multi-media
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLJzEl5st8s “The Forces on an Airplane” 8:15 min. (05/11/15)
A comprehensive video all about flight.

Student Resources
Literary Resources
Space and Flight Experiments. Louis V. Loesching. 2006. Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. ISBN 13: 978-
4027-2334-6 and 10: 1-4027-2334-2. Great hands-on flight experiments.

Book of Flight. Judith E. Rindard. 2001. Firefly Books. ISBN 1-55209-619-X and 1-55209-599-X. A
good history of flight and flying technology.

Make it Work! Flight. Andrew Haslam. 2001. Two-Can Publishing. ISBN 1-58728-371-9 and 1-587728-
355-7. Great hands-on experiments for all types of flight.

Interactive Resources
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/k-12/UEET/StudentSite/index.html (05/11/15)

www.scientistsinschool.ca 18
 
Everything to do with aeronautics, including history, vocabulary, lesson plans and games.

http://johnbenzies.com/flightsim/ (05/11/15)
A very fun computer game where you fly the plane!

http://howthingsfly.si.edu/ (05/11/15)
Interactive site to explain how things fly.

References
In addition to the resources listed above, the following references have also been used to write this package:
http://www.factmonster.com/dk/science/encyclopedia/rockets.html (01/29/14); http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/flying-fish/
(01/29/14); http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/flight.html (01/29/14); http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/flight.htm
(03/31/2014); http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records-1/highest-altitude-by-a-single-kite/ (18/07/14;
flight silhouettes:  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FlightSilhouettes.svg (L Shyamal) &
http://naturemappingfoundation.org/natmap/facts/annas_hummingbird_k6.html.

www.scientistsinschool.ca 19
                                                                                           
                                                                                              Get kids excited about science 

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profit in Canada – more than 700,000 in the 2018‐19 school year.  
 
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