Light flights

Getting middle school students to sit still for more than five minutes at a time can be a tough task. While getting them to sit still, try adding delicate balsa wood, instructions for building an airplane that can weigh only 10 grams and must use a rubber band to stay aloft.

Sound impossible? For some, maybe. But not for Fred Keller. Keller is a member of the Alaska Radio Controlled Society, a group that flies radio-controlled planes, and he has been working with Teeland Middle School students as part of the Science Olympiad program. The students have built small, light airplanes with his help, and are excited about flying them in the state competition next month.

"It takes a lot of patience from kids, the planes are fragile and it takes a lot of attention. It's hard for the kids because they are, well, kids," Keller said. "Plus, I'm a tough old cookie to deal with. But these kids who have stuck with it have done a great job. They have to ask themselves, 'Why does it do this?' or 'Why does it do that?' after a flight, and sometimes we don't have the answers. That's hard for a middle-school student to understand, but they work through that."

Each plane must weigh 10 grams for the state competition -- which equates to roughly a ton of weight when compared to some of the world-class planes that have been built. They must be powered by a rubber band, called the motor, and the competition is based on how long the plan stays in the air.

Laying on the ground, students release their planes, with a wound motor, and watch as it continues a left-hand sweep all the way to the ceiling.

Then, as the motor unwinds completely, the plane continues the "cruise," all the way to the floor, while a stopwatch determines success.

"We've had ours in the air for a minute and 20 seconds before, and that was the best we've ever done," said seventh-grader Carl Brent. "Last year's state best was only 43 seconds."

To say the project requires patience is a monumental understatement. Just building the plane requires plenty of time and patience. Then, after each flight, students must analyze every aspect of the flight - from how many times they wound the motor, to the angle of ascent, to the pitch, to just about everything else.

"There is a lot to think about, every time" said Sam Deedy.

The lessons learned through the project are countless.

"You need to use math and a lot of science. You have to even think about things like the density of wood," Brent said. "And, of course, it's a plane, so you have to use a lot of aerodynamics."

The students were flying their creations in the small gym of Teeland Middle School Thursday night while the Alaska Radio Controlled Society flew some electric planes in the adjacent large gym.

The flashy planes caught the attention of the students, and their new interest in planes led them to take a few minutes to watch the "masters" fly.

"Someday, I want to fly those types of planes," said Josh Campbell. "I think it would a be a cool hobby to do during the summer. I think we'll probably keep building planes."

Brent agrees with his classmate. "My team will probably keep working on the planes and get ready for next year's competition. In the high school competition, your plane has to take off and land on wheels."

The plane project is one of many projects at not only Teeland Middle School, but at schools around the district and state. The Science Olympiad brings students together, usually in Anchorage in April, in competitions in a number of divisions - the planes being just one. At Teeland alone, other projects include battery buggies and bridge building.

"The program is great because it gets kids applying what they've learned in a fun way," Keller said. "The teachers have been great about the program."