Wanting to fly like the birds has always been man s great dream. The story of Icarus and Daedalus, an ancient Greek legend, shows this.

Transcription

1 Workshop Metal wings Wanting to fly like the birds has always been man s great dream. The story of Icarus and Daedalus, an ancient Greek legend, shows this. After a long history of attempts to achieve this great dream, aeroplanes, our birds with metal wings, were developed. People looked to nature for sources of inspiration and innovation and we are now in an era where they are trying to learn from nature, in a trend called biomimesis, referring to innovative new technologies to solve human problems that nature has solved. In this game we are going to show you we want to explore the similarities between birds and aeroplanes as an example of biomimesis. Have you ever wondered why a bird or a plane stays up in the air? The principle of how an aeroplane works is similar to the one that explains how birds fly: the secret lies in how fast they move and the shape of their wings or which way they are facing in relation to the air flow, which is known as the angle of attack. When it is flying, an aeroplane, and therefore its wings, cut through the air, making part of it flow over the upper surface of the wing (the extrados) and the rest under the lower surface (the intrados). If we can manage to get the air that flows over the extrados to move faster than the air passing underneath, we will be able to make the pressure at the top of the wing lower than at the bottom and there will therefore be a resultant vertical force in an upward direction. If the plane s velocity is high enough, this force will be capable of making it rise or stay in the air. Dept of Education and Activities Parque de las Ciencias Workshop Metal wings

2 Comparison between an aeroplane and a bird Using the model, we will describe the parts of an aeroplane, fuselage, wings, tail and undercarriage, corresponding to the body, wings, tail and feet of a bird. The fuselage is the body of the plane, the part that houses the crew, the passengers and the cargo. The wings (straight, arrow-shaped or delta) are the structural element that enables the plane to fly. Their variable shape depends on what activity they perform. Arrowshaped wings are found in high-speed aircraft and in falcons. For a plane to be able to take off and land, its wings need to include some flexible or movable surfaces (flaps). When an aircraft is getting ready to take off, the flaps, or alulas in birds (framed in red on the owl), are deployed at a certain angle outwards and downwards. To land, the operation is very similar; they are deployed to increase lift and so compensate for loss of velocity and height while coming in to land. Dept of Education and Activities Parque de las Ciencias Workshop Metal wings

3 The tail is the rear part of the plane. It is usually made up of two stabilisers, one vertical part (the rudder) and one or two horizontal parts (the elevators). The elevators control the plane s orientation, changing the pitch of the aircraft and the angle of attack of the wings. The rudder enables the plane to fly straight, preventing it from swinging right or left. Undercarriage. This is the mechanism to which the plane s wheels are attached. In most small aircraft the undercarriage is fixed, but in the largest and fastest ones it is retractable and is completely folded away after takeoff so as not to offer air resistance. Dept of Education and Activities Parque de las Ciencias Workshop Metal wings

4 Metal Birds game We suggest a simple game to compare basic physical elements in the flight of a bird and of a plane. Materials: Print two A3 size boards and the 8 cards (pdfs attached) and cut 8 pieces of adhesive velcro. Rules of the game: - The game is for pairs of players or groups. Up to 8 groups can play. - The cards can be dealt, one per group (there are 8), or they can be placed face down on the table and one picked up in each turn. - One group or person begins by reading the first clue, and the opposing group or player answers, saying whether it is a bird or a plane. So after each clue the players can discuss which element it might refer to. The cards are designed so that the 2nd clue focuses the element more clearly but the dilemma of whether it is a plane or a bird is maintained, and until the 3rd clue you cannot tell for sure. Even if the players give the right answer at the 1st or 2nd clue, the guide/monitor should create doubt and introduce the dilemma: but it might also be. - Once the right answer has been given, the image can be removed from the card (velcro) and stuck onto the image by filling in the gaps in the 4 parts to be guessed. Dept of Education and Activities Parque de las Ciencias Workshop Metal wings

5 Rótulos para las imágenes del avión y del ave (pág. 2) Español Avión Estabilizador Vertical Timón De Dirección Timón De Profundidad Estabilizador Horizontal Ala Derecha Alerón Derecho Ala Izquierda Alerón Izquierdo Motor Fuselaje Hélice Rueda De Proa Tren De Aterrizaje Principal Inglés Plane Vertical Stabiliser Rudder Elevator Horizontal Stabiliser Right Wing Right Flap Left Wing Left Flap Engine Fuselage Propeller Nose Wheel Main Undercarriage Ave Frente Corona Auriculares Nuca Manto Lomo Supracaudales Rectrices Mentón Garganta Cuello Pecho Flancos Abdomen Calzones Tarsos Dedo Posterior Secundarias Primarias Subcaudales Bird Forehead Crown Ear Coverts Nape Mantle Rump Uppertail Coverts Rectrices Chin Throat Neck Breast Flanks Belly Thigh Tarsus Hind Toe Secondaries Primaries Undertail Coverts Dept of Education and Activities Parque de las Ciencias Workshop Metal wings

6 Aircraft Wings They are used for flying The upper surface is more curved than the lower surface They need motor propulsion

7 Bird Wings They are used for flying The upper surface is more curved than the lower surface More propulsion is obtained by flapping them, developing pectorals

8 Alulas They are useful when taking off and landing and increase lift They are located at the front of the wing (leading edge) They are feathers

9 Flaps They are useful when taking off and landing and increase lift They are located at the back of the wing (trailing edge) They are movable metal plates

10 Feet They are hidden during flight On landing, they make contact with the ground They are also used for walking

11 Wheels (undercarriage) They are hidden during flight On landing, they make contact with the ground Cars also have them

12 Bird Tail It is used to steer the flight in one direction or another On landing, it is tilted downwards, to act as an air brake It is longer in woodland birds

13 Aircraft Tail It is at the back It affects the direction and height of flight It is controlled from the aircraft cockpit