The desire to fly through the air has always been with people, it seems, it was this that prompted scientists to create many wonderful aircraft, but not all of them were safe, they could fly over long distances. Among them - and such an amazing device as a glider, which is relevant to this day. He gave rise to a whole sport in which competitions are held. Many have heard of it, but have no idea what it is.
What is a glider?
This is a kind of non-motorized aircraft, the weight of which is much heavier than air. The movement in it occurs under the influence of its own weight. The glider makes its flight using the aerodynamic force of the air flow on its wing. He seems to be floating in the air. There are various models of this device: by the number of seats - single, double and multi-seat; by appointment - educational, training and sports. There is no airframe engine, this is the simplest aircraft.
For takeoff, a towing aircraft is used, which attaches it to its board with a cable. After lifting the tug into the air, the glider also soars. Then they unhook the cable, the machine flies alone. Many people note that glider flights are just great, because everything happens in silence, without the annoying hum of the engine. After a beginner recognizes in practice what a glider is, he wants to fly it again and again.
There are two options for flying on this device: soaring and gliding. Gliding is a descending flight of a glider that is very similar in feel to a sleigh or cart descent down a steep slope. Soaring involves the use of lift, which is created by the air flow and supports the aircraft while moving in the air.
A bit of history
It was the flight on a glider that opened up new opportunities for mankind to soar in the air, because before the invention of the aircraft it was still very far away. These aircraft did not previously have cockpits for pilots or retractable landing gear. In some models, the pilot simply lay on the platform or controlled the aircraft while standing on his hands, using the movements of his own body. Of course, this caused some inconvenience during the flight. These aircraft were able to maintain their relevance at the present time.
Many amateurs are thinking about how to make a glider with their own hands. It would be nice to have such a device in your arsenal for personal flights. Children will be very happy with such an invention and will find it a good toy. And flying on a glider of real size can give a lot of wonderful sensations of light.hovering in the air.
Choosing the right model
A homemade machine must certainly have some important qualities that can be found out when studying a suitable option in a store.
What will the glider look like? It is often difficult for a beginner in this business to achieve the correct design, which is why it is so important to adhere to the general rules.
For those with a minimum of experience in design, it will be quite difficult to make a model, so it is recommended to choose something light, but with no less elegance than store-bought counterparts. There are only two main designs of this aircraft, the creation of which will not require much effort and expense. For these reasons, they will be the best choice.
The first option is based on the principle of the designer, it is assembled and soars into the air right at the test site.
The second option is prefabricated, has a holistic design and is stable. Its creation is a rather painstaking and difficult work. Not every glider is able to make one.
Airframe drawing
At the initial stage, you need to make calculations and think carefully. For those who want to make a glider with their own hands, the drawings of the finished plan need to be viewed. It is also necessary to decide in advance on the materials that will be used in the future design.
For different models of gliders, a completely standard set of resources is needed: small blocks of wood, twine,quality glue, ceiling tiles, a small piece of plywood.
First model value
The first design of the airframe will be quite light, its knots are fastened together with ordinary stationery rubber bands and glue. It is for this reason that it is not necessary to observe accuracy in design here. There are a few basic rules to follow:
- total airframe length must not exceed 1 meter;
- wingspan value - a maximum of one and a half meters.
Other details are up to the glider.
Format of the second model
Here it is really worth thinking about the quality of the model. It is very important that all the details of a homemade aircraft are calculated to the millimeter. The glider drawing must correspond to the created model, otherwise the structure will not soar into the air. This model must have the following parameters:
- maximum aircraft length - up to 800 mm;
- 1600mm wingspan;
- height, which includes the dimensions of the fuselage and stabilizer, is up to 100 mm.
After all the necessary values are clarified, you can safely start modeling.
Training is half the battle
Before you start designing real aircraft, you can practice and build a paper glider. You can make it from a small sheet of paper and a match, it will fly great. It is only necessary to adjust a small plasticine weight on the nose ofmodels. For this simple design, you will need a notebook sheet of paper, scissors, matches, a piece of plasticine.
First, you need to cut out the body of the glider according to the template, and then bend the wings along the dotted line upwards. Next, carefully glue the match on the inside of the model so that the match head protrudes beyond the nose of the center of the wing and does not have protrusions at the back. After the glue dries and the match is fixed, the airframe adjustment process begins. It is necessary to select a plasticine weight for it in such a way that it regulates the flight process. This balancing is attached to the edge of the match.
A simple variation of a glider
The basis for the glider (its wing-shaped part) is cut out of the ceiling tiles. After that, rectangles are created from a similar material. This is done in such a way that there is enough for all the details: the wing should measure 70 x 150 cm, the horizontal stabilizer - 160 x 80 cm, and the vertical stabilizer - 80 x 80 cm. It is necessary to cut out the main parts very carefully.
The perimeter needs to be turned with toilet paper so that everything is extremely smooth and there are no nicks. Each narrow and thin edge needs to be rounded, so you can give the design a little elegance, its aerodynamic properties will also improve. Ribs can be created from simple chips, only carefully turned and give them the desired shape in advance. After all these manipulations, you need to carefully glue the piece of wood to the middle of the wing so that it does not go beyond the edges. The main part is almost ready.
Now we needto take up the preparation of the body of the glider, this design is quite simple and consists of a thin stick and small stabilizers. The rounded squares need to be glued together so that a kind of letter "t" comes out in three dimensions. It attaches to the tail. With the help of such manipulations, you will make a frame, it remains to attach everything with the help of ordinary stationery rubber bands. A glider drawing will come to the aid of a novice designer, relying on which everything can be done with high quality.
Complex aircraft model
Creating a children's glider is not difficult even for beginners. But more serious models require special efforts and much more time to design. Therefore, people who are wondering how to make a glider on their own should study the process of building an aircraft in more detail. This will help create a solid design. Having a ready-made model, beginners will be able to evaluate in practice what a glider is, what advantages it has.
Toy model with small motor
The fuselage of this model is made from finely planed matches and pasted over with ordinary cigarette paper. A piece of plasticine for adjustment is placed in the nose of the model. Wings, stabilizer and keel are cut out of thick cardboard paper. Anyone who knows what a glider is may be seized with doubt when this "squiggle" will be in his hands. However, the work is not yet complete.
Now it remains only to spread the cardboard wings and attach to the nosesome plasticine. After that, you can actually check how this model flies.
The capabilities of this match design are very limited, it makes flights with a decrease, in the air it may require constant adjustment. It is much more interesting to launch gliders into the air that can soar in the air on their own, so you can additionally make a rubber motor for them. It takes less than half an hour to make this important detail. To do this, you need to carefully make small indentations in the fuselage from matches, where the front propeller bearing and the rear hook will be inserted. Both of these parts are made from ordinary soft wire. The latter must be carefully wound with a thread exclusively at the points of its junction with the fuselage. These joints are carefully smeared with glue.
After that, you need to cut out a motor screw from the rail with a knife, the length of which is 45 mm, the width is 6 mm, and the thickness is 4 mm. In the center of the screw, you need to skip the wire axle, the end of which is bent with a hook for the future rubber motor. Two threads pulled out of a clothesline can be used for a rubber motor, they must be wound by 100-120 revolutions. A device with such a simple engine will soar into the air very quickly.
After a beginner makes a glider with his own hands, more complicated drawings will not seem so complicated to him. Good luck!
