Week 5
We started our second prototype in week 5. Our goal this week was to create a smoother glide and longer air time. To do this, we knew we needed to decrease the mass and create a tauter surface.
We decided to decrease the amount of tape used. Instead of taping the entire wire down to our plastic, we glued the wire frame together with small amounts of hot glue. Not only did we create a sturdier frame, but we also eliminated a lot of tape. This frame made it a lot easier to secure the plastic body of the kite tightly so it could glide through the air smoother. We also changed the angle at the nose of the kite. Originally we had planned to make it a 90 degree angle. After testing, we found that our kite was more efficient at about a 120 degree angle.
The biggest problem with this prototype was the wire frame. The wire was very pliable, so the frame was crooked no matter how hard we tried. We will definitely find a new material to use in the next prototype- one that is still lightweight, but not easy to bend. In week 6, we plan to create our third prototype and begin collecting data.
We decided to decrease the amount of tape used. Instead of taping the entire wire down to our plastic, we glued the wire frame together with small amounts of hot glue. Not only did we create a sturdier frame, but we also eliminated a lot of tape. This frame made it a lot easier to secure the plastic body of the kite tightly so it could glide through the air smoother. We also changed the angle at the nose of the kite. Originally we had planned to make it a 90 degree angle. After testing, we found that our kite was more efficient at about a 120 degree angle.
The biggest problem with this prototype was the wire frame. The wire was very pliable, so the frame was crooked no matter how hard we tried. We will definitely find a new material to use in the next prototype- one that is still lightweight, but not easy to bend. In week 6, we plan to create our third prototype and begin collecting data.
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