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Build An Aircraft Engineering Challenge
As I said in our Straw Rocket Engineering Challenge, my kids love things that they can launch and/or fly. In the past, we have made LOTS of paper airplanes. We have checked out every paper airplane plan book from our local library.
Here is a video of a paper airplane that flew over 250 feet!
One summer afternoon, we decided to up our game and try building other types of aircraft. We were inspired by some of the projects found in the Dover Publishing book, The Science Of Air, from the Tabletop Scientist series.
The kids used those projects as inspiration to build their own. They came up with a glider and a helicopter. They tweaked their designs using different materials and configurations of wings, tails and structural elements. It was a great lesson in trial-and-error and teamwork, as well as engineering and design.
Building Your Aircraft
I gave the kids a stack of supplies: straws, paper, cardboard, wooden dowels, tape, and clay. They looked at the pictures in the book to get an idea of what one might look like, then they created their own.
My daughter took some her knowledge of airplane wing design to try and make a more aerodynamic wing. But, no matter what design the kids chose, they had to make it fly.
This is a great open-ended project where kids can use their prior knowledge or be inspired to learn more about aircraft design to incorporate new ideas into their aircraft.
Paper Airplane Templates
You might opt to use some paper airplane templates, especially if you are low on craft materials or are limited for time in a group or class setting.
- This paper airplane template is courtesy of NASA (PDF)
- Several different paper airplane designs & templates from Iowa State University (PDF)
- This YouTube video shows how to fold this paper plane design. They say it can fly over 150 feet.
Other aircraft engineering-related projects:
Add to this aircraft engineering challenge with this Rubber band helicopter STEM activity. Level up your aviation engineering challenge with a build-and-test mini helicopter powered by nothing but a rubber band and big brain energy. Your kids will learn about blade shape, angle, and size affect lift. It’s hands-on, chaotic in a good way, and a perfect intro to real aerospace concepts like thrust, torque, and rotational energy.
Have your kids build an anemometer, which helps them understand aviation because wind is basically the boss of everything that flies. Pilots, engineers, and air-traffic crews all need to know exactly how fast the wind is moving and from what direction before any plane takes off, lands, or even lines up on the runway.
Build an Aircraft Engineering Challenge Cards
Download the free challenge cards by clicking the button below. The PDF will open. Save to your device, print, and have fun!
Click on the button below to open the PDF and save to your device.
More engineering challenge ideas…
Foil boat engineering challenge with printable challenge cards.
This activity uses paper, tape, and a lot of imagination – Paper Structures Engineering Challenge Paper Structures Engineering Challenge.
Since we’re trying boats and airplanes, here’s a fun rubber band helicopter project.
Photo credit: MamaSmiles
