Introduction

If you are fond of aeromodelling and don’t know where to start, Conscientia gives you just the right platform with this Balsa Glider workshop. The workshop will be conducted by experienced aeromodellers, and participants will take with them their maiden glider!

Click here to register. Registrations for this workshop are closed.

Workshop

It is a hands-on workshop where you will get an insight into glider flight and can build and take home your own gliders! You will design, build and fly your gliders all in a matter of hours. You will be given the required materials, like Balsa Wood, Hinges, Adhesives, etc., along with the necessary tools to build the glider.

Sequence of Events

• Initially, an experienced aeromodeller will introduce you to the basics of aircraft design. In this short lecture, an overview of aerodynamics along with certain thumb rule principles of Model Aircraft design will be glimpsed upon the students.
• Following this, each team will be provided with a standard plan (2-dimensional Design Drawing) of the glider they are going to make. The teams will be required to understand the plan completely and build their gliders according to the plan.
• Finally the teams will be provided with the required materials for beginning the assembly. Each team will have to take the balsa wood piece and cut it to required size, then sand it using sandpaper and finally fix it using the adhesive provided. Thus the teams shall build the glider all by themselves by fixing together all cut balsa pieces.
• Once ready, the teams will be taught the method to balance their glider at the desired CG position. Also the teams shall learn the art of throwing (hand launching) their gliders at the correct angle.

Key Person
Mr. Adarsh N, a renowned aeromodeller from Bangalore. Visit his website.

Duration
The duration will be approximately 6 hours.

Fees

The fee per team will be Rs.500/-.

The payment has to be made by Demand Draft in favor of The Registrar, IIST, Payable at Trivandrum. You also need to send an attested photocopy of the college ID cards of the team members. Do not forget to mention your team ID (Team ID's are provided in the registration mail). DD's received after 23rd February 2010, will NOT be accepted. You are requested to send us an email at 2010[at]conscientia[dot]co[dot]in with a scanned copy of the demand draft, to prevent problems arising due to postal delay.

Please mail your DD at the following address:
Conscientia Office,
Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology,
ATF Campus, ISRO P.O., Thumba,
Thiruvananthapuram 695022,
Kerala

Information

• A team can have a maximum of 2 members.
• Participants will be provided with certificates of participation.
• For any queries and clarifications, please contact wnl[at]conscientia[dot]co[dot]in.

Resources

An interesting start-up guide for Balsa Glider Making, courtesy IITK Aeromodelling Club, can be downloaded here.

Another tutorial can be downloaded by clicking here.

DDs Received

To be updated soon.