FREE FLIER

INTRODUCTION
A glider is a special kind of aircraft that has no engine. Paper airplanes are the most obvious example, but gliders come a wide range of sizes. Toy gliders, made of balsa wood or styrofoam, are an excellent way for students to study the basics of aerodynamics. The Wright brothers perfected the design of the first airplane and gained piloting experience through a series of glider flights. These aircraft were similar to modern hang-gliders and were launched by running off a hill. More sophisticated gliders are launched by ground based catapults or are towed aloft by a powered aircraft then cut free to glide for long distances and for a long period of time before landing. The Space Shuttle flies as a glider during reentry and landing (the rocket engines are used only during liftoff). Compared to a powered aircraft we see that a glider has only three main forces acting on it: lift,drag, and weight. As before, we have collected all of the component forces together and represent them by single forces acting through the center of gravity or the center of pressure.Because gliders carry no fuel or engines, they are usually lighter and simpler than powered aircraft.

1.TASK
Design and build an unpowered aircraft that glides in air with the objective of traversing maximum distance and staying in air for the maximum time.

2. ARENA
The arena will be an open ground, the panoramic view of which will be uploaded later.

3. RULES
1. Teams will not get any extra time for practice, testing or calibrations on the arena before the run. 2. The time and range measured by the organizers will be final and will be used for scoring the teams. Time measured by any contestant by any other means is not acceptable for scoring. In general, the decision of the organizers will be final and binding in all circumstances. 3. The participant will get 2 runs and it is upto him/her to decide the one that goes on record.

4. BOT SPECIFICATIONS
1. A glider is defined as an object that has exactly 3 forces of flight, namely lift, drag and weight (gravity). To ensure that the participant's aircraft fits the definition of a glider, it should have a minimum endurance of 6 seconds, that is, it should fly atleast for 6 seconds. 2. It must be unpowered with no power source mounted on aircraft. The thrust must be provided only by the design of the glider. Any form of thrust provided by fans, helium/hydrogen balloons etc is not allowed. 3. Parachutes and paragliders do not qualify as gliders since they do not have lift. Also aircrafts lighter than air are not considered as gliders and hence will not be allowed. 4. Use of launching mechanisms is prohibited. The glider should be hand launched. 5. The participants are free to use any materials of their choice. However the use of Balsa wood or Foam (sun board) or sun pack is advisable. Balsa wood is light and easy to handle and to fabricate, hence is a good choice. 6. Participants must make all parts of the gliders themselves. Usage of Ready-to-Fly (RTF) and Almost-Ready-to-Fly (ARF) kits are strictly prohibited. However, the kit comprising of unassembled cut-pieces of balsa wood is allowed. 7. The glider should have a minimum wing span of of30cm 35 cms. and maximum of 45cm.

5. JUDGING CRITERIA
5.1 Scoring Prizes will be awarded in the 3 categories below: 1. Range: Range is the displacement between the point of launch and the point where the glider hits the ground. The greater the range, the higher the rank of the participant. 2. Endurance: Endurance is defined as the time from which the glider is launched from till the time it touches the ground. The greater the endurance, the higher the rank of the participant. The endurance should be greater than 6 seconds for the run to be considered admissible. 3. Design Innovations: The glider will be judged for any creativity in design or the principle used
in making the glider. For this Participants have to submit the documentation of design. The judgment will be final and unquestionable.

5.2 Certificate Policy

Certificates of Excellence will be awarded to all teams who are the best in one of the above categories. Certificates of Participation will be given to the top 16 teams each in the Range and Endurance categories. 4.3 Team Specifications A team must consist of a maximum of 2 participants. Students from different educational institutes can form a team.