A short note on Gliders! (& Changes to the blog!)

So, this week is pretty busy for all the freshmen students at IIT Bombay, what with the onset of the quizzing season and all! However, along with studies come extracurricular activities; and a few weeks back, I chose to attend an Aeromodelling Workshop by the Aeromodelling Club, IIT Bombay (their page is here). And I totally loved it!

Our team made a pretty basic glider, but I still learnt a lot about Aeromodelling! Here, I'd like to share what I understood from the workshop and basically how we proceeded about to make this glider successfully.

First, we learnt some Aeromodelling principles. The basic question is: How do planes work? Here, I finally felt that all those hours reading random answers on Quora was productive! The most popular theory, the equal transit theory, is infact incorrect. There is no constraint on the currents moving above and below to complete the trip in the same time.

 A few points that I've picked up from the article links I've attached at the end:

1) It's the engine which moves a plane forward, while the wings move it upward.

2) As a curved airfoil wing flies through the sky, it deflects air and alters the air pressure above and below it.

3) SxL is an important parameter for a glider, where S is the surface area of the tail and L is the length from the center of gravity of glider to the tail.

4) Using the lift equation and torque equations (for stability), we can derive certain area and length ratios which are ideal for flight. We shall use these numbers. [I've added the last 2 points on my own].

So, basically, we were given a few pointers on the number crunching part of the design.

Tail area ~ 20% of the wing area.
Fin area ~ 10% of the wing area.

For the wingspan, due to length constraints of the board we were given to construct our glider, we could choose a length anywhere between 35-45 cm. The ratio of the length to the breadth of the wing (which I believe is called the "Wing aspect ratio") should be between 5-8.

The Tail aspect ratio should be around 3-5 and the Fin aspect ratio should be 2-3. The body length should be around 6/10th to 8/10th the wingspan.

Based on these, and the above area considerations, here are the numbers we used for our glider:

Wings

b = 42 cm
c = 6.5 cm

Tail

bt = 14.78 cm ~ 14.8 cm
ct = 3.69 cm ~ 3.7 cm

Fin

bs = 8.3 cm
cs = 3.3 cm

So, our preliminary task was to cut up all the boards into the appropriate dimensions. Then, it was decided that the tail was slightly smaller than it should've been [according to our mentor eyeballing the dimensions] - so we made a slightly bigger one, although I do not remember the exact dimensions.

The main work left after this was to shape the wings to make it an aerofoil, or atleast close to one in shape. For this purpose, we used sandpaper to rub away all the extra material and make a smooth aerofoil. This was kind of crucial. After this step, we simply attached all the pieces to our fuselage and used a glue gun to stick them together!

Now, the main part left was to balance the aircraft. We used clay for the purpose. Basically, what we wanted was to use clay on the front part of the aircraft such that the center of mass lies approximately at 1/4th the breadth of the wing, on the fuselage. This is important because it makes the glider fly straight.

And after this, we were done! We made a pretty basic design, so our team was the first to finish. Although this was something really basic, I must say that I learnt a lot from this and I hope to get time to take part in such future events (especially RC Planes!).

Shubham out!

P.S. I got inspiration for that last one from watching Obama's final speech recently! Do check it out. :)

Links:

http://www.explainthatstuff.com/howplaneswork.html

https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aircraft/glider_handbook/media/gfh_ch03.pdf

Pics:

Our glider!

Team pic! Kushagra Juneja (left) and Me (right)!

P.P.S - I'd like to add that I've tried experimenting a bit with the blog. Now it's possible to subscribe to this blog via email (if anyone actually wants to! :P), via the option on the middle right. You probably can't view this on mobile devices; to do that, go to the bottom of the screen, click "View web version" and then you'll see it!

Also, I've added a Lyrics for the Week section! I'll be updating this every Sunday with some of my favourite lyrics! Hope you enjoy some of these songs after seeing them here! :)

The Path (A short, incomplete poem)

Hi guys!

While browsing through my older stuff, I found some poems I wrote long back. Most of them were cringe worthy (a forced adventurous one or a over sweet romantic one, for example) but I think I wrote a really deep one.

Unfortunately, I don't have the last 4 paras with me because I never really shared that with anybody and my old phone is now dead. However, I think it's better this way; the poem seems more open ended and offers multiple interpretations. Maybe, all's well that end's well?

The longer I walk down this dark, dark path

Lengthier evermore it seems to get

I shudder, for the night is frosty;

But I must go on; for that is my resolve.

The end cannot be seen; only sensed.

I steel my nerves and walk swiftly; 

For my mind is set;

my destiny lies in conquering

the uniaxial path in front of me.

It behoves ye, dear reader

to set upon thine path!

For great treasure lies at the end

A treasure, so exquisite, one of a kind;

Found and cherished by only those who toil;

Cannot be forged, borrowed or thieved.

Do not pay heed to those who criticize

Those who try to distract, pull you from the path;

You must be strong; for they are but spectators.

It is not their path to walk!

Well illuminated, it is, for them;

But it makes no difference.

They can but shout and jeer;

But they cannot substitute the treasure;

A treasure, unique to it's acquirer.

So, I hope this poem really raises some questions. Is this poem written to be interpreted in an allegorical manner? What does the treasure signify? 

Well, this is one of those "2 AM" poems, which just flow from the mind. So, maybe it makes sense or maybe it's all garbage. I think I have some idea of what I was trying to get at via this poem, but as a fun exercise I'll invite reader interpretations in the comments! :)

P.S. I've added a subscribe by email button on the right, in case anyone actually finds this subscribe worthy =D

What is music?

Music has had a great impact on my life in the past few years. This may seem a bit weird; why would something as trivial as music impact a person's life in a non-trivial way?

The answer lies in my philosophy that the music a person listens to, shapes the person in some way. Music to me is a golden fabric interwoven with beautiful tales, immersing the listener into a different world. As we grow older and more mature, we usually (I do not have a source for this yet! Anyone interested in conducting a statistical analysis?) transit to listening to more meaningful music than when we were younger. Thus, the music you listen to reflects your personality and embodies your inner soul.

I believe that the crux of a good song lies in the lyrics and the delivery, in that order. I often get goosebumps listening to songs satisfying both of these criteria. I believe that music often introduces us to new worlds and thoughts that would have otherwise remained unexplored in our subconscious forever. I've listened to songs that have completely turned my expectations from the genre on its head.

Some of the songs that I will remember for their meaningful content are the following (in no particular order and by no means complete);

1. Let her go - Passenger

This song is simply beautiful. It conveys the fact that we often under appreciate the people in our lives; only when they leave us can we feel the pain emitting from the void in our hearts. The delivery is just perfect, with a slow, romantic tune.

2. Hallowed be thy name - Iron Maiden

This song, to me, at first seemed nonsensical because I could not understand the lyrics properly (being a newbie to metal!). It took me a few listens to get the actual hang of the song. This song is quite philosophical and paints a clear mental picture of a prisoner in his cell about to be taken to the gallows. He starts wondering about his life and the existence of god.

3. Hope - Vicetone ft Obama (I know, right?)

This. Song. Is. Epic. Seriously. I someday hope (haha!) to be half as good an orator as Obama is. This song is a must-listen. 

4. Lose Yourself - Eminem

Well, we all know it. Eminem is pretty (in)famous for being generous with his expletives. But, this song was what lifted me at my low points. Sometimes, you have to be strong. You can't be satisfied with where you are and you need to stretch yourself to bring out your best. After all, you only have one life to live, right?

5. Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin

Just deep. I discover new meanings almost every time I listen to this song. 

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As you can see, songs of quite varying genres can be meaningful. I've found that many songs of widely varying genres have molded me into a better person. You feel both the happiness and the pain of the singer as if it were your own. Some songs just connect with the self at a metaphysical level.

Some songs have guided me through my journey, motivating me through my lows and reminding me to keep pushing and working hard towards my goal during the highs. Music is love. Music is life. <3