Helicopters
Project
Watch the video below to see one way of making a simple helicopter.
Imagine you have been asked to design a helicopter to drop supplies to people in a remote disaster area. A controlled descent and soft landing is essential - too fast might damage the load and too slow might blow off course!
Here is a template for one possible helicopter (Word, pdf).
Once you have had a go, think about how the helicopter could be adapted.
How would you decide on the best possible helicopter design?
You will need to decide the height from which you will drop the helicopter, and the load it will carry.
Here are some issues to consider in your search for the best helicopter:
- number, shape and design of wings
- speed of descent
- choice of materials
- cost of materials
- wastage
- choice of colour
Teachers' Resources
Why work on this activity?
Possible approach
Equipment:
- helicopter template (perhaps printed on thin card)
- paper and card of different thicknesses
- paper clips
- scissors
- ruler
- sharp pencil
Key questions
Possible extension
Possible support
Guidance could be offered on the sorts of changes to make, for example, keeping the helicopter in the same proportions, but gradually increasing its overall size, or keeping the width of the wings and the body constant, and gradually increasing the length of the wings and body.