Flying Things
Computer Resources Software:
  • Exploring Aeronautics
  • Microsoft Flight Simulator (several versions available)

    Internet:

  • The Science of Flight (download free paper airplane software)
  • Rockets Away
  • Virtual Aviation Camp

    • About Exploring Aeronautics:
    NASA
      MAC   DOS
    68030 or better Windows 3.1 or 95, 486 or better
    8MB 8MB
    Quick Time 2.5 Quick Time for Windows 2.1.2
    640X480, 256 colors 640X480, 256 colors
    2 X or faster 2 X or faster

    Exploring Aeronautics features the following:
    How an Airplane Flies-lift, four forces, movement, control surfaces, aircraft parts, wing shape. The Tools of Aeronautics-Computational Fluid Dynamics, Wind Tunnels, Flight Simulation, Flight Test. Different Type of Wings-sweepback, forward-sweep, straight, oblique, swing and delta. Resource Center-book/web site list, glossary, timeline. Activity Center-lift and drag experiment. Print Materials-student logbook, science unit, literature unit, integrating with aeronautics.

    Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000:
    DOS
    Minimum RAM Required 32MB
    Recommended RAM 64MB
    Minimum Disk Space Required 350 MB
    Required CPU Type --Intel® Pentium® with MMX™
    Required CPU Speed 166MHz
    Recommended CPU Type--Intel® Pentium® III

    Additional Details--Microsoft Windows® 95 or Windows 98 operating system or Windows NT® Workstation operating system version 4.0 with Service Pack 3 32MB of RAM for Windows 95 or Windows 98, 64 MB recommended; 64 MB of Ram for Windows NT 4.0, 50 MB of available hard disk space for swap file, Quad-speed or higher CD-ROM drive ,Super VGA, 16-bit color monitor required, Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device, joystick or flight yoke recommended, Microsoft DirectSound® 6.0 API-compatible.

    Microsoft Simulator for Windows 95 "Classic":
    IBM PC or compatible with a 386/33 mhz processor
    CD ROM drive
    Windows 3.1 or higher (Ran OK on Windows 95)
    4 MB RAM (386 enhanced mode and swap file needed)
    SVGA (At least 512 KB video memory and 640x480x256 color video driver)
    MPC 1 compliant sound card and Windows drivers
    MSCDEX 2.2 or higher
    Microsoft compatible mouse

    Microsoft Flight Simulator 98:
    DOS
    Minimum RAM Required-8 MB recommended RAM 16 MB
    Minimum Disk Space Required 100 Mb
    Required CPU Type-486DX
    CPU Speed-60MHz

    Additional Details--Recommended: joystick, MMX compatible microprocessor and Direct 3D Graphics accelerator hardware486DX2 (66MHz) or higher microprocessor, Pentium Recommended Super VGA display (800x600 resolution) operating System Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0 operating system or later

    Cost

    Exploring Aeronautics $
    Order from NASA CORE Item # 400.0-91

    Microsoft Simulator 95 "Classic" $
    Microsoft Simulator 98 $$
    Microsoft Simulator 2000 $$$

    Content Life Science:
  • Science-flight/aviation, rocketry
  • Computer software and internet skills
    • Life Skills
  • Decision making
  • Science skills-observation, comparing, measurement, relating, inferring, applying
    • Age Level
  • Grades 5-8
    • Setting

    Youth can work on software individually or as a team, at program setting or from home/other. If limited numbers of computers are available then software activities can be done in conjunction with hands-on activities.

    These activities can become a day or residential camp, or the curriculum for an after-school program over several weeks. Complementary activities can be found in the Mission to Mars activity template.

    *Do Hands-on Aviation Activities
  • Super Spinners
  • Floaters
  • Paper Airplanes
  • Boomerangs
  • Helicopters
  • Loop Airplanes
  • NASA Aeronautics Educator Guide
  • The Science of Flight

    Software Activities

  • Exploring Aeronautics
  • How An Airplane Flies
  • Different Types of Wings
  • Activity Center-Lift and Drag Experiment

    Internet Activities

  • Learn about the history of aviation.
  • Science Fun with Airplanes
  • National Air and Space Museum

    Go to a virtual Aviation Camp

    • *Reflect:
  • What happened when you experimented with air?
  • What was most difficult part of your airplane experiments? Easiest?
  • What experiment did you enjoy most?
  • What did you learn about the science of flight?
  • Why is an airplane able to stay in the air?
  • What else would you like to know about aviation?
  • What was the most important thing you learned about airplanes?
  • Did your model airplane turn out like you expected? Why or why not?
  • What else might you try?
  • What would you do differently next time?
  • What did you learn about yourself through this activity?
  • How did you go about making decisions when designing your airplane?
  • How will what you learned by useful in the future?
  • What could you do to become even better at decision making?
  • How will you help others learn about aviation?
    • Apply

    Use Microsoft Flight Simulator Program to test your flight skills.

  • Visit the following site for 250 links on the topic of flight simulation that include plug-ins for your flight simulation software. http://www.studyweb.com/links407.html

    Have a paper airplane design contest. Categories might include: Flight Distance, Length of Flight Time, Aerobatics, Best Design. The following internet sites will provide paper airplane patterns:

  • http://www.zurqui.com/crinfocus/paper/airplane.html
  • http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/1817/
  • http://www.onenorthpole.com/ToyShop/Paperairplanes.html
  • http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~flight
  • Paper Airplane Design Shareware

    • More Activities

    Hands-on activities

  • NASA Rocket's Educator Guide-download
  • Rocket's Away
  • Paper Rockets
  • What Puts the Fizz in Alka Seltzer

    Internet

  • Warp Drive When?
  • Seltzer Tablet Rocket
  • Way Out SpaceTravel

    Rocket's Away Leader's Guide
    and
    Science Fun with Airplanes Leader's Guide Ohio State University Extension Publications
    2021 Coffey Road, Kottman Hall
    Columbus, Ohio 43210
    (614) 292-1607 pubs@agvax2.ag.ohio-state.edu

    • Extended Activities:

  • The Fabric Flight Connection. 4-H Youth Development Cornell Cooperative Extension.

  • Toys in Space: That Free Fall Feeling. Iowa State University Extension. Order #4H-97, video #4H-87A. Play with toys, observing how they perform on earth, and then predict how these same toys would perform in the microgravity of space. Test your predictions by watching a video of the astronauts playing wit the same toys.

  • Aerospace Workforce Skills for Life Series. 4-H Cooperative Curriculum System. Stage 2 Lift Off and Stage 3 Reaching New Heights.


    • * see Experiential Learning Model