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activity two
Activity Credit: Credit and permission
to reprint – The Academy of Model
Aeronautics (AMA) and Mr. Jack
Reynolds, a volunteer at the National
Model Aviation Museum, has graciously
given the Civil Air Patrol permission to
reprint the FPG-9 model plan and
instructions here. More activities and
suggestions for classroom use of
model aircraft can be found by
contacting the Academy of Model
Aeronautics Education Committee at
their website, buildandfly.com.
AMA FPG-9 Glider
OBJECTIVES – Students will learn about the basics of how flight works by creating a
simple foam glider.
– Students will be introduced to concepts about air pressure, drag and how
aircraft use control surfaces to climb, turn, and maintain stable flight.
MATERIALS
• FPG-9 pattern
• 9” foam plate
• Scissors
• Clear tape
• Ink pen
• Penny
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NATIONAL STANDARDS
Science Standards:
Content Standard A: Science as Inquiry
• Abilities necessary to do
scientific inquiry
• Understanding about scientific
inquiry
Content Standard B: Physical Science
• Motions and forces
Content Standard E: Science and
Technology
• Abilities of technological design
• Understandings about science
and technology
Content Standard G: History and
Nature of Science
• Science as a human endeavor
• Historical perspectives
Unifying Concepts and Processes
• Evidence, models, and
explanation
Technology Standards:
Standard 20: Students will develop an
understanding of and be able to select
and use construction technologies.
BACKGROUND
Control surfaces on an airplane help determine the movement of the airplane. The FPG-9 glider demonstrates how
the elevons and the rudder work.
Elevons are aircraft control surfaces that combine the functions of the elevator (used for pitch control) and the aileron
(used for roll control). Thus, elevons at the wing trailing edge are used for pitch and roll control. They are frequently used
on tailless aircraft such as flying wings.
The rudder is the small moving section at the rear of the vertical stabilizer that is attached to the fixed sections by
hinges. Because the rudder moves, it varies the amount of force generated by the tail surface and is used to generate
and control the yawing (left and right) motion of the aircraft.
Lockheed 117
Nighthawk
Stealth Fighter – this tailless aircraft
called a flying wing uses elevons as control surfaces for pitch
and roll control. The elevons are not part of the main wing but
instead are a separate tail surface.
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SUMMARY
The FPG-9 illustrates how some of the flight
surfaces work on an airplane. Students learn how to
use the inquiry method to experiment with these
surfaces and determine how they effect the flight of
the airplane.
EVALUATION
Teacher will observe experimentation and use the
FPG-9 data sheet as proof of experimentation and
understanding.
RESOURCES
• Video from AMA on how to make the FPG-9 glider
— http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNtew_VzzWg
ENRICHMENT
1. Have a contest to see who can adjust their FPG-9
gliders to hit a target such as a hoola hoop.
2. See which student/cadetʼs glider goes the farthest.
3. Have students/cadets prepare a lesson to teach
younger students about control surfaces on the
FPG-9.
9. In order to make the plane fly successfully, the
students/cadets must attach a penny on top of the wing
right behind the square tab. Then they will fold the tab back
over the penny and tape it down to secure the coin.
10. Next, have students/cadets bend the elevons on the
wing upward. This will provide for a flatter glide. If the
students/cadets want the plane to turn, they can adjust
the rudder on the vertical fin.
11. The FPG-9 is now ready to fly. Have students gently toss
the plane directly in front of them. The FTP-9 should
perform a big loop and have enough speed for a glide
of 20’-25’ after the loop.
12. Have students/cadets use the worksheets at the end of this
lesson to experiment with the FTP-9.
1. The instructor will create
the FPG-9 pattern for stu-
dents/cadets to trace by
copying the pattern found
in this lesson onto card-
stock. This will make a
sturdier template to trace
onto the 9” foam plate.
2. Students/cadets should
cut out the FPG-9 glider
pattern. Tell
students/cadets not to
cut along the dotted line
on the paper pattern.
Have them only cut along
the bolded lines.
3. Students/cadets should
then place the paper
pattern in the center of
the foam plate ensuring
that the tail of the pat-
tern stays inside of the
curved portion of the
plate bottom. (The tail
must remain on the
plate’s flat bottom.) The
tab on the front of the
pattern may rest on the
curved portion. The
ends of the wings
should spill over the
curved edge of the plate.
4. Students/cadets should
trace around the pattern
with an ink pen remem-
bering to mark the
scissor slits A and B.
7. The wing and the tail each
have slits drawn on them.
Have students/cadets
make a cut along each of
these lines as drawn.
8. To attach the tail to the
wing, students/cadets will
slide Slot 1 into Slot 2.
They will use two small
(2”) pieces of tape to se-
cure the bottom of the tail
to the bottom of the wing.
They will also ensure the
tail is perpendicular to the
wing before adding the
tape.
5. Students/cadets then cut
the foam template out by
following the pen lines that
were drawn. Students/
cadets need only make one
line. These lines will create
the elevons and rudder.
6. At this time, students
should cut along the dot-
ted line to separate the tail
from the wing of the FPG-
9. It works better if stu-
dents/cadets make cuts
from the outside of the
plate towards the center of
the plate.
Remember: When cutting
out the slots, make them
only as wide as the thick-
ness of the foam plate. If
the slots are cut too wide
the pieces of the plane will
not fit together snuggly.
PROCEDURE
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