Glider Launcher
These gliders are to be launched outside in a field. They will fly much farther than the typical paper airplane, and due to thier curved wings, they experience lift.
The glider is based on lift. Lift happens because faster moving air is at lower pressure than slow moving air. There is a force upward on the glider's wings because of the air that is rushing over their curved top.
The glider will be made out of paper and the launcher is a small piece of wood. This is a very cheap toy to produce. The glider has little durability becaue it is all paper. Fortunately this toy is very cheap so a few gliders can be included in every box. The main safety concern is that objects other than the glider will be launched by children who use this toy.
Fedya Kleshchev
Rapid Prototype Design
Carnegie Mellon University
January 23, 2007