Thank You for Joining Us Today!
Introduction to the AIAA Educator Academy
Electric Cargo Airplane Module will begin at 2 PM EST
Don’t Forget!
You will need to call in for the audio portion of this webinar:
Phone: 1.866.740.1260
Passcode: 2647527

Tom Milnes thomas.milnes@jhuapl.edu

Webinar Overview
• The Engineering Challenge of Tethered Flight
• Costs and Financing
• Curriculum Module
• AIAA Workshops Available
• Capstone Event

Goals and Objectives
Today’s Webinar will:
• Introduce you to the concept and utility of a tethered flight engineering challenge
 Design, Build, and Fly for HS and MS students
• Convince you that materials are available to excite students about STEM via this challenge
• Convince you there is available training for you to execute the concept in the classroom / after school
• Inform you about resources for putting together a
Capstone Competition

Genesis
• Module stems from the Maryland Engineering
Challenges Electric Cargo Challenge
 Run by AIAA Mid-Atlantic Section for almost 2 decades at the Baltimore Museum of Industry
– http://www.thebmi.org/page/maryland_engineering_challenges
 Middle School and High School Levels of Competition
• Key Aspect
 Designed to be run indoors without expensive Radio
Controlled equipment

Tethered Flight Concept
Tether
Power
Supply Power
Pole
Packing Tape

Challenge
• Plane flies empty 1 lap at least 8” off ground
• Plane then flies with weight added 1 lap at least
8” off ground
• Cargo Weight = Plane with Cargo – Plane Empty
• Plane that carries the most weight wins the performance component
 Scores scale by weight

Challenge Components
• Performance – 30 points
• Written Report – 30 points
• Oral Interview – 20 points
• Design Evaluation – 20 points

Setting Up to Fly

Taking Off

Oral Interview in Progress

2 nd Place Winners!

1 st Place Winners

Costs – Reusable Items
• Reusable Items – 1 per teacher
 Power Pole
– Kelvin 851508 - $199.95 – www.kelvin.com
 16V DC Transformer
– Kelvin 841051 - $125 – www.kelvin.com
• Potential funding with AIAA Educator Grant Program
 Currently $250 per teacher, 2 teachers per school per year
– https://www.aiaa.org/Secondary.aspx?id=4184
 Should also contact your local AIAA section for support

Cost – Consumable Items
• Cost per plane for a proven foam wing design is
< $10
 With team of 4 student < $2.50 a student

Curriculum Module
• Contains a 5 week lesson unit plan for the classroom to prepare for
 An in-class competition
 An external competition

Curriculum Module – National Standards
• Correlation to National Standards
 Science Standards K-8,9-12
 National Education Technology Standards for Students
(NETS·S)
 National Math Standards K-12
 National Languages Arts Standard K-12

Curriculum Module – Glossary of Airplane Terms
• Airplane Terms
 aileron, airfoil shape, airspeed, angle of attack, area, aspect ratio, balance, chord, coefficient of lift, density, drag, elevator, empennage, flaps, fuselage, horizontal stabilizer, landing gear, lift, motor, planform, quarter chord point, rudder, span, stall, swept back angle, stall, taper ratio, thrust, vertical stabilizer, weight, wing

Curriculum Module – Background Information for
Educators
• Historical Perspective on Flight
• Uses NASA Engineering Design Process for
Secondary Students

Curriculum Module – Week 1
• 1 - Identifying the Problem
• 2 - Identifying Criteria and Constraints
• Learning the STEM Content
 History of flight
 Parts of an airplane
 Forces on an airplane
– Lift, Weight, Thrust, Drag
 Basic airfoils
 Angle of attack and stall
 Wing geometry (span, chord, area, aspect ratio, taper ratio) for rectangular, elliptical, and trapezoidal planforms.

Curriculum Module – Week 2
• 3 - Brainstorm possible solutions
• 4 - Generate ideas
• 5 - Explore possibilities
• 6 - Select an approach
• Design Aspects
 Main Wing – Most Important
 Fuselage and landing gear – consider stock solution
 Empennage (Tail) – consider stock solution

Curriculum Module – Week 3
• 7 - Build a Model or Prototype

Curriculum Module – Week 4
• Fly With Cargo
 Use leader board to build excitement

Curriculum Module – Week 5
• 8 - Refine The Design
 Adding cargo weight and attempting to fly with the new cargo
 Modifying their wing (e.g., reshape or add flaps)
 Designing and constructing an entirely new wing
 Modifying the fuselage/landing gear/empennage assembly
 Trying a different propeller
– Gear motor for greater torque with larger propelor
• Communicate Your Results!
 Written Report
 Oral Presentation

Cracking The Code
• Not all teachers will feel comfortable with all aspects of an Engineering Challenge
 Science and Math Teachers will understand the
STEM Content but not how to build airplanes
 Tech Teachers may know how to build airplanes but not feel comfortable with STEM Content
 Some after school programs are run by dedicated but overwhelmed Liberal Arts teachers
• A workshop demonstrating the module in practice is highly helpful!

Educator Academy Electric Cargo Plane Workshop
• AIAA IDC Funded Through September 2014
• Instructors
 Paul Wiedorn – Master Teacher
– AIAA Educator Associate – Tech Ed Teacher at Wilde
Lake HS, Columbia, MD – Retired Navy Nuclear
Propulsion Officer
 Tom Milnes – Engineer On Call
– JHU/APL – Principal Mathematician – Head Judge and
Organizer – Maryland Engineering Challenges Electric
Cargo Challenge

Instructors and Students
Tom Milnes
Paul Wiedorn

Educator Academy Electric Cargo Plane Workshop
• Setup Day Before
• Workshop Schedule
 8 – 8:10 – Welcome and Introductions
 8:10 – 9:30 – Formal Instruction
 9:30 – 12:00 – Building Commences
 12:00 – 12:40 – Lunch
 12:40 – 1:30 – Building and Refining
 1:30 – 4:30 – Refining and Flying

Educator Academy Electric Cargo Plane Workshop
• Supplies
 AIAA Provides Specialty Items
– 2 power poles, 2 power supplies, 2 tethers, stock plane kits, …
 Host provides locally available supplies
– Consumables paid by AIAA
» 4’ x 8’ foam board, …
– Non-Consumables provided by Host
» Tools, Garbage Cans, Shop Vac, PC projector, …

Capstone Event
• Training materials are available for holding capstone event by AIAA Section or Local
Sponsor
 Webcast on October 1 st 2 PM EDT
• Hope is to have a series of Regional Challenges that feed into an Institute level Challenge

Thank You for Attending Today!
Additional Questions and Information:
• Tom Milnes, STEM K-12 Committee, thomas.milnes@jhuapl.edu
• Gar Bering, STEM K-12 Chair, ebering@central.uh.edu
• Lisa Bacon, AIAA Program Manager, LisaB@AIAA.org
Please join us for our next webinar:
AIAA Educator Academy Mars Rover Celebration Module
Wednesday July 31st, 2 PM EDT