SkyLab Flight Investigation
A seed, a paper glider, and a bird — all flyers. What makes one stay in the air longer than another?
Evidence you will build
- Flight dataset (multiple trials)
- Force diagram annotated for flight
- Redesign brief using biomimicry
- Flight time comparison graph
Why this matters
Flight investigations connect fluid forces to design choices — insights peers share about drag, lift, and biomimicry.
What you will investigate and collect
You will design and test flying objects (paper gliders, falling seeds, or simple winged models) and figure out what affects flight time and distance. Which design variable — wing shape, mass, drop height, or launch angle — affects flight the most. Flight times or distances across multiple trials, with one variable changed at a time.
- Date and time
- Flyer / version
- Variable setting
- Trial number
What you might make or share
- Wing shape test piece3D print
Standardised wing profile for fair comparison testing
Your flight data suggests one wing shape performs better. A printed test piece isolates that variable.
- Fuselage frameLaser cut
Lightweight structural frame based on mass-to-distance findings
Use evidence from mass-to-distance comparisons to tune frame stiffness and mass.