Elastic-Powered Plane Craft

Hey there again! First of all, thank you so much for the support you have given over the past few Instructables. All of you have kept me going and allowed me to deepen my passion in this hobby. So for today, I'm taking on a slightly different approach for today's project.

This project is an aircraft with propellers that are powered by elastic bands. This aircraft consists of a simple fuselage, sturdy wings, and a mechanism centered around the energy generated from the elastic bands. I created this simple version of an Elastic-Powered Plane as I wanted to discuss how even everyday materials consist of energy and can be explained through easy Physics!

Join me as I walk you through a craft and science-based project :)

Materials:

1. 2, Wooden Sticks
2. 1, Sheet of Card Paper
3. 1, Paper Straw
4. 1, Paper Clip
5. 1, Plastic Bead
6. 2, Elastic Bands (Depending on how long you plan to make the fuselage)

Tools:

1. Pencil
2. Eraser
3. Hot Glue Gun
4. Hot Glue Sticks
5. Scissors
6. Pliers
7. Ruler (centimeter-inch)

The fuselage is also called the main body of any aircraft. It is responsible for holding all the weight from the other components such as the propellers and wings. Our goal is to make sure that our aircraft is as light as possible so that we would not produce much drag and we would instead, gain lift enough for the aircraft to fly a longer period of time.

Take one (1) wooden stick and cut off unnecessary parts such as its sharp end/s. This is called the body from now on. Then using the second (1) wooden stick, measure about 1.5 cm of material and cut it off using a pair of pliers. Glue this piece at the very end of the body as shown in the fourth photo. After this, measure the same length on the paper straw then glue this piece below the wooden stick we attached to the body earlier. This will be our front end of the fuselage.

To attach the elastic bands on the other end of the fuselage, we will create what is called a hook. Using the excess paper straw material, cut off two (2) pieces of 1.5 cm tubes. Glue the first tube below the opposite end of the body as shown in the second photo. Then, fill it with hot glue to strengthen it. Lastly, glue the second tube below the first tube we just made. Using a paper clip, create a hook then hold it in place inside the second tube. While in position, apply hot glue to seal the hook.

Essentially, the hook on back end and propeller will initially not have tension first.

Using the extra paper clip, create a hook as shown in the second photo. Use pliers for easier bends. Then using a sheet of card paper, draw two identical propellers. Draw a curved line as shown in the third photo. Doing so will allow the propellers to collect air, gaining lift during the flight. Curve the paper based on these lines to look like the fourth photo.

Using an extra piece of the paper straw, attach both of the propellers alternately. This will again, scoop up the air as the propeller spins. Finally, place a small tube also made from the paper straw and glue it on the propeller. This additional tube will make it easier for us to connect the propeller to the plastic bead later on.

Now that we have made the propeller, use the hook we made for the propeller earlier in the step and position it inside the tube we made in the front end of the fuselage. Then, insert this hook inside the plastic bead and apply hot glue. NOTE! DO NOT GLUE THE PLASTIC BEAD ON TO THE PAPER STRAW TUBE. After this step, you should sill have the hook-bead piece spin without any issue.

The photos above demonstrate how the propeller and hook in place should look like. This is the final modification of the front end of the fuselage (body).

A tip to know exactly how many elastic bands you will be needing for the aircraft depends on the amount of tension before we even spin the propeller to create tension in the elastic band/s. If you find that one elastic band creates too much tension from the propeller to the back end hook, add another one. To attach an elastic band to another without gluing or damaging the material, follow the photos above to guide you.

Now it is time for the Physics aspect of the project! As a student who has recently finished 9th grade with their last discipline being Physics, I have become more passionate about integrating science into my builds! Elastic bands already contain energy. Every object with mass does even at rest. Especially if the object stands on a higher ground. This is what we call POTENTIAL ENERGY. This type of energy is known as the energy of an object relative the Earth's surface. This means the higher the object is at, the greater potential energy it possesses. This rule, again, applies to any object even real-life aircrafts.

The overall mechanism of this project also relies on KINETIC ENERGY. Potential Energy and Kinetic Energy are both important concepts in Physics as they go hand in hand with each other. Kinetic energy in this case, is released after we have spun propeller attached to the elastic band. This type of energy is known as energy in motion. There are also formulas to explain the mathematical idea behind these concepts.

To finish off this project, we will create wings to balance the aircraft. The front wing and back wing are both made from card paper. You can also opt to use lighter materials. Once you have figured out the perfect shape to mold your wings into, glue a paper straw tube below the two wings. This will better the bond of the wings on the fuselage (body).

Just as what was explained in Step 5, spin the propeller until the elastic bands held on the hooks of the fuselage have gained enough tension to be released. I suggest that you test different heights from which the aircraft will be thrown from. Additionally, hold the back end portion of the fuselage (body) to not hurt your finger while releasing the aircraft. Allow 2 seconds for the propeller to unwind, then release it into the air.

A good habit that every inventor or crafter should include in their routine, is to assess what they did well and what is left to be improved on. Here, I will list down some modifications since this is considered a prototype!

1. Create propellers from plastic material, as it is lighter and more durable.
2. Measure the wings and their distance from one another, as it will help the aircraft gain more lift.
3. Allocate an area to place fingers before the aircraft is launched, to prevent injuries.

There you have it! The first version of the simplest elastic powered aircraft you can find on the internet! Stay tuned for more exciting projects where I will be able to utilize brilliant software such as Autodesk and Arduino/Raspberry Pi!