Students learn by flying toy airplanes

Aiming high for grades took on a unique aspect last week when physics students took to the sky for fun and a few extra points. 

Eight Plains High School students got a first hand lesson in aerodynamics last Thursday when they gathered in back of the school to participate in the Annual Physics Airplane Competition. The primary goal was supposed to be observing the flights of their airplanes to learn the concepts of airflow, lift, gravity, drag, and other aspects of Bernoulli's Principle by seeing it in action. In reality, what most of them wanted to do was to get the additional 10 bonus points added to their grade by traveling the longest distance.

The students, all seniors, built "Delta Darts" model airplanes for the class. They constructed the planes over the previous two weeks in class. Construction went fairly well overall, said teacher Carl Benson, though there were a few minor setbacks. Gabe Worrall and Krystena Boes both broke wings during test flights. Connor Burnham's plane kept flying upside down. The planes weighed an average of 13 grams and were made of thin paper, balsa wood, a plastic propeller, and a rubber band, which was attached to the propeller. 

"Since I was flying, they all wanted to beat me," said Benson, who was using Grace Horton's plane because she couldn't be there. She had the best constructed aircraft of the class, according to Benson. That Benson was flying Horton's craft didn't sit well with students, who said it wouldn't be fair because he was piloting Horton's plane and had an advantage being the teacher. And the complaints piled on after he got her plane to go 51 feet.  

The students' new piloting skills came with some frustration as the planes initially went every way but straight. Even after they changed directions to fly with the wind, some had trouble. They had been performing test flights in the school hallway and classroom for the last week and a half as each finished their Delta Darts, tweaking them slightly in an effort to correct flight patterns, which was done mostly with sticky notes on the front and back wings as flaps or on the tail to serve as a rudder. Benson said it's important to make sure the fuselage is aligned with the wings for balance. He was impressed with the plane Horton made, specifically with the dihedral, which is the slight upward angle of the wings. It increases the lateral stability, which is why most of the Horton flights went well nearly every time. 

Most of the students had two or three sticky notes on their planes, but Burnham had seven to start with, though he eventually reduced them to five to give him 35 feet for his longest flight. Worrall and Madison Elliott tried two rubber bands for more propeller power, but had no additional luck, so they went back to one. Worrall even tried four, but the plane went only about 15 feet. His longest distance was 60 feet. 

The students recorded three of their best flights for grade. Horton's plane went the farthest at 68 feet. Boes' longest flight was 63 feet. Benson decided to give both of them the bonus points. 

The teacher wasn't sure how many of his former students went into an aviation career. One went to work for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and at least one went into the Air Force to become a pilot. Denver Collins, son of Tom and Terry Collins of Plains, who graduated from Plains High School in 1993, was a graduate of the Air Force Academy and served 21 years, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. He is currently a pilot for Southwest Airlines. "I wanted to be a pilot since I was five years old and made a plan at 10 years old to go through the military training route. Mr. Benton was not the initial inspiration, but because I was already interested in flying, he helped me figure out the magic behind the awe," said Collins.

The students don't just have fun with the model airplanes. They still had to read the lessons and be tested, but Benson feels the information stays with them longer because they see some of the outcome first hand. "They learn so much better when they can actually do it and see the results," said Benson, who's been using the model airplane approach for 25 years and saw a boost in their grades since incorporating the project to his class. 

Several of their planes traveled a long distance, but turned left or right. On one flight, Dawson Brown's plane made a 180-degree turn and landed behind the starting line for a negative distance. His plane also hit two vehicles during practice runs and nearly struck Benson when he was retrieving a plane. Brown's longest flight was 56 feet.

Elliott's longest was 23 feet. Jolena Caldwell's best was 34 feet while Maddie Madden's best shot was 32 feet. Aubrey Tulloch's longest flight was 23 feet. Adelle Ercanbrack and Lexa Craft were in the class, but didn't make it to the competition.

Much of the study was classroom instruction and textbook learning, which included an eight-page packet, a worksheet, and a test. However, they didn't just get to read about flight or see toy airplanes fly. Randy Garrison of Plains took the students up in his Piper Cherokee. Over the course of three days, Garrison gave them a chance to see Plains from the sky. For some, it was their first time in a plane. "I never knew how pretty it is from up there," said Boes after her first airplane ride. "The takeoff was so smooth I didn't even know we were in the air," she said. 

Garrison himself was a third-grader at Plains Elementary School when he got his first flight in the airplane of the late Millar Bryce. "That's what sparked my interest. And he flew me several times," said Garrison, who's been participating in Benson's class for about 25 years. He also gives them a class on the ground, going over the parts of the plane. 

"It's amazing to see the ones that have never flown before, they get really excited," said Benson. He said getting an up close personal look at an actual airplane helps them understand the principles behind flying. Garrison enjoys taking the kids up. "It's especially nice to take them up for their first plane ride."