Design of model glider / Kevin Krishanderan a/l K. Vasudhevan

Project paper (Diploma of Mechanical Engineering)) -- Universiti Malaysia Pahang - 2007

Design of a model glider is a conceptual understanding of aerodynamics and aeronautical engineering which is not provided in daily lectures room due to the fact that it is advance knowledge in this field. It is becoming a necessary knowledge in Malaysia due to the demands in the flight industry. As such, it is vital to attain this basic knowledge through this project. The purpose of this project is to design, fabricate and test a model glider to achieve flight. Extensive designs were performed on two softwares that proved to be vital. Material that is light in weight was used to fabricate the model glider using simple and easy methods. Evaluation of the performance was based on the range achieved. The target range is 50 meters. The center of gravity, balancing mass and height were the aspects studied during testing. The model glider proved flyable and nearly reached the target range. The findings suggest that with greater height, appropriate mass balancing and location of the center of gravity, greater range can be achieved. The design from the softwares, fabricating using simple methods and testing outdoor, the model glider proved its capability of flight. The framework used to design this project is general enough and can be improved by using better materials to achieved good performance. -Author