Cargo Glider

Cargo Glider

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Cargo Glider

LEVEL: Middle School (MS)

DIVISION(S): Grade 6 and Grades 7/8

COMPOSITION OF TEAM: 2-3 students per team

NUMBER OF TEAMS:

Preliminary – Determined by your local MESA center

Regional – # of teams per division at the discretion of each region

(Northern/Central, LA Metro/UC Santa Barbara, and Southern)

Subject | Subject

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Overview

Students will design and construct a glider with a payload that, when launched by the Launching Mechanism, fl ies through the air, goes over an obstacle and lands the farthest. The glider must be the original work of each team. Judges may ask questions for verifi cation. Participation logistics, limits, and competition facilities may vary by host site. Advisors and students are responsible for verifying this information with their local MESA center. Students should take into consideration the transportation of projects; competition ready projects must be transported safely to the competition site.

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Overview

An engineering lab book is a required component of this competition. The purpose of the Engineering Lab Book is for students to better understand the process an engineer goes through in the creation of a project. MESA projects are not designed to be completed in a single class period or day, but to be the result of thoughtful research, planning, analysis and evaluation. Keeping a lab book throughout the design process will help to keep a designer on track, using a logical progression of planning, in order to develop their project efficiently.

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Materials

LEGAL: Various materials may be used to build the glider; materials are not

limited to wood. Students should consider the strength of the material needed to withstand the force of the launcher. There is no restriction to the size and/or weight of the glider.

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ILLEGAL:

● Hazardous materials (to be determined by the host center)

● Remote control devices of any kind

● Additional power source(s) (i.e., thrust, lift or stored energy that assists

dynamic fl ight) may NOT be supplied.​

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Materials

For the Engineering Lab Book, electronic submission will be required. Teams

should use an electronic portal/application such as Google Docs to keep and

maintain a lab book. Access and permission to the lab book must then be given to MESA Day staff and judges OR lab book is submitted electronically (e.g., PDF file, WORD file) for review. Please check with your local MESA center for the deadline and submission platform to submit your team’s lab book for local and for regional events. See “MESA Day 22-23 Engineering Lab Book Guidelines” at https://mesa.ucop.edu/.

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Materials

The Host Center will provide the following:

● 2 six-foot tables for the impound station

● 1 six-foot table for the repair station

● 1 six-foot COSCO folding table or equivalent for Offi cial Launcher Mechanism

● 5ft PVC Pipe and T joint PVC Pipes to support the folding table (LINK)

● Launcher will have a new rubber band after 70 uses with 15 initial uses to prime the rubber band.

● Safety goggles for team members and judge

● 3D Printed launcher adapter

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Multiple Choice

How many students make up a team?

• 1-2

• 2-3

• 3-4

• 1-3

Multiple Choice

Is an Engineering Lab Book required for this project?

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

Is there a restriction on size and weight of the glider?

• Yes

• No

General Rules

​1) The students’ full name, grade level, school name, and MESA center MUST be clearly labeled on the glider. A 10% penalty in the score will be assessed for failing to properly label. Gliders checked-in with a tie-on label will be required to launch having the label tied on.

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2) The glider MUST contain an easily identifi able, prominent feature on the fuselage that adapts and connects with the launcher adapter. The adaptation MUST be identifi ed by a red dot. Failure to label the glider’s adaptation with a red dot will result in a 10% penalty to the final score.

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Subject | Subject

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General Rules

​3) Teams must be able to show the number of ping pong balls (i.e., cargo/payload) the glider contains to the judge during registration.

a. The glider MUST have two (2) ping pong balls as its cargo for all divisions/grades.

b. Teams cannot change the shape of the ping pong balls in any way, that includes crushing, cutting, drilling, etc.

c. Teams MUST use 1 star rated ping pong balls. Examples

d. Gluing or taping balls to the glider or each other is acceptable as long as teams can show the judges that balls have not been modifi ed and the one star and 40+ marking is visible.

General Rules

​4) Teams may only register/turn-in one glider for the competition.

5) All repair materials and tools MUST be provided by each team when registering at check-in. A toolkit provided by a school representative is permitted.

6) For the purpose of this competition, a glider is defi ned as a self-contained flying vehicle that remains intact during fl ight. The glider cannot have links of any kind with the ground that provide lift, propulsion or course guidance during the flight.

7) Glider parts that break off during LANDING (i.e., upon initial impact with the ground or any object) are permissible but are not encouraged.​

General Rules

​8) If parts of the glider break off DURING fl ight (i.e., while in fl ight) including the ping pong balls (i.e., cargo/payload), the launch is considered a MISTRIAL. Flights that result in a mistrial are NOT eligible for points.

9) The glider MUST fly over the 60-inch (152.40 cm) obstacle and MUST stay within the 10-foot (3.048 m) width of the obstacle. For gliders that go outside this boundary, the launch is considered a MISTRIAL."

a. If both launches are a MISTRIAL, the score will not be recorded.

10) The glider can be made from various materials and have no restrictions on size or weight, however the glider MUST be capable of being launched by the official launcher and MUST have an identifi able fuselage, wing, and tail. Gliders without the required components will be DISQUALIFIED.

General Rules

​11) Remote-control (electronic) devices of any kind may not be used. If mechanical devices are used, these devices must be self-contained and may not provide any thrust to the glider.​

12) Additional power source(s) (i.e., thrust, lift or stored energy that assists dynamic fl ight) may NOT be supplied. The only power source allowed is the offi cial glider launcher.

13) The judges’ decision regarding the location of the glider’s fi rst-touch point (i.e., landing location) is considered fi nal and is not subject for debate. Digital media (e.g., photos, video recordings, etc.) will not be accepted for arbitration purposes.

General Rules

14) Only team members can hold and repair their glider. The impound and repair station areas will be supervised by competition judges. Advisors, guardians, parents, and/or teachers are not allowed inthe designated impound/ repair areas.

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15) The lab book is meant to clearly demonstrate and illustrate evidence of the application of the Engineering Design Process in the MESA project.

Multiple Choice

What is the minimum number of ping pong balls that need to be on the glider?

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

Multiple Choice

Can any parts of the glider break off during the flight?

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

Can the ping pong balls be modified in any way?

• Yes

• No

Judging

1) Gliders will be checked for specifi cations prior to the start of the competition. Teams that do meet specifications after this initial check will have an opportunity to compete if they meet ALL of the following conditions:

a. Accept an automatic “Mistrial” and therefore no score for Launch #1.

b. Make repairs/modifi cations as necessary to bring the device to proper specifications and be ready to compete when called for Launch #2.

c. Make repairs/modifi cations only in the designated area as indicated by the judges.

d. Failure to adhere to any of a, b, or c will result in disqualification.

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Judging

2) Teams that meet the specifi cation check but wish to make repairs and modifications may do so, but they MUST be ready to compete when called for Launch #1.

3) Each team will be allowed two (2) non-consecutive launches for their glider.​

​4) Each team MUST be ready and report to a judge within 1 minute of being called to launch their glider. Failure to report within 1 minute of being called will result in a forfeited trial/launch.

5) Each team will be given a 1-minute window to set-up their glider.

6) Judges will give each team a 5-second countdown prior to the team member releasing the glider in order to initiate flight.

Judging

7) The Rubber Band of the Offi cial Launcher Mechanism MUST not be pulled back more than 36in (91.44 cm) from the edge of the launching mechanism to be considered a successful launch.

8) The glider’s first-touch point (contact with any object) will be marked by the judges.

9) Measurements will be taken perpendicular to the launching mechanism and the glider’s first-touch point. Measurements will be to the nearest 2 cm (0.75 inches).

10) The decision of the judges on the location of the fi rst-touch point is final and not up for debate.​

Judging

11) Teams are responsible for removing their glider from the contest area immediately after judges have marked the first-touch point.

12) One member of each team will be asked to place their glider on the impound table (an area designated by the judges) or the repair station table after every trial.

13) All glider repairs and/or alterations MUST be made under the supervision of a judge. New/spare/replacement parts ARE NOT ALLOWED. Repairs or alterations can ONLY be made with parts originally used when the glider was submitted for specifi cation checks. Glue and/or tape to affix broken pieces is ALLOWED.

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Judging

14) Both trials will be timed (to be used as the tiebreaker only). Times will be recorded, at a minimum, to the nearest hundredth second. The timing of the fl ight ends when any part of the glider comes in contact with any object (fi rst-touch point). In case of a tie, the longest flight duration (hang-time) will be used as a tiebreaker.​

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Multiple Choice

How many mistrials does a team get before they are disqualified?

• 4

• 3

• 2

• 1

Multiple Choice

How long does a team have to set up their glider?

• 4 min

• 3 min

• 2 min

• 1 min

sCORING

1) Launch #1 = Distance after first launch

2) Launch #2 = Distance after second launch

3) A deduction of 20% of the team score will be assessed for an incomplete lab book and a deduction of 50% of the fi nal score will be assessed for a missing lab book.

4) Final Score = Best launch minus (-) possible penalties

a. Since the penalties from the lab book and proper labeling will be subtracted from the final score, the following will serve as an example of how judges will factor in penalties on MESA Day.​

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sCORING

Team # 1 had a best launch of 15m and did not receive a penalty (they turned in their engineering lab book and all competition related materials are properly labeled).

Best Launch = 15m

Number of Ping Pong Balls: 2

Penalties = None

Final Score = 15m

Team # 2 has a best launch of 10m and they did not turn in their engineering lab book and their glider is not properly labeled.

Best Launch = 10m

Number of Ping Pong Balls: 2

Penalties Total = 50% for missing lab book (-5m), 10% for improper labeling (-1m)= 6m

Final Score = 10 meters - 6 meters from penalties = 4 meters​

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sCORING

5) Tie Breaker: if there is a tie among Final Scores, the glider with the longest flight time on the corresponding best launch will be the winner.

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Awards

● Awards will be given per division: Grade 6 and Grades 7/8.

● Medals will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place based on the Final Score.

● Ribbons will be awarded for Innovative Engineering Design.

● Only teams that place in the Final Score category will advance to Regional MESA Day; please check with your MESA center to determine the number of teams that advance to Regional MESA Day.

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Attachments/Appendix

● A: Engineering Lab Book Mathematical Concepts

● B: Offi cial Rubber Launcher Mechanism Specifi cations

● C: Obstacle Specifi cation

● D: Course Layout

● E: Inspection and Score Sheet for Glider

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Poll

Is Cargo Glider the project you are considering to do for your project?

• Yes

• No