Meet Jumpy! {by R}

For my birthday my dad got me an RC airplane, a type of glider called the Zagi 5C. Unlike the Jettiger, that we tried last year, this plane is easy to fly. My first airplane, the Jettiger, only got one flight before it was demolished in a crash. 

We got to build more on the Zagi 5C.

  I even got to design the colors myself. I used my favorite color for the main part: yellow!

A few days after I got the plane, me and my dad started building the Zagi 5C. We started by getting some materials like the 3M77 spray adhesive. Then we set up the GoPro for a time lapse. We then glued the two airfoils together and glued in the carbon fiber spars. That glue was extra strong.   

We took it out for its maiden voyage this week. My dad is still working on the video. Stay tuned! I can't wait to get more time with Jumpy. You'll see why I named it Jumpy soon.

 

Inspiration for My Ornithopter {by R}

On Sunday I met a guy when hiking to the top of Garrapata. He was carrying a wooden glider made mainly of foam and balsa wood, but was reinforced with fiberglass and carbon fiber.

It had two servos sticking out of the wing to control it. The guy made it himself. He said its best to experience making it from scratch instead of getting a kit.

He launched it with a surgical tube sling shot, then he controlled it with a remote, gliding along the currents blowing up the side of the hill. He likes to follow the turkey vultures flying on the wind currents because the vultures rarely flap their wings. Instead they rely on the upwards currents that he needs to fly his glider. 

This has inspired me to make my own flying machine, an ornithopter. I'll post photos  of my creation later. For now, here are a few more photos of his glider. It's not named yet!