Day 6 July 13th- Project Work

 

Chris:

Please be aware that we are now sharing our workspace with another program. They are just starting their first day across the hall and are running a very different program from ours. However, they will be using that classroom, the kitchen, and various other shared amenities. Please be polite and respectful of their presence. Make sure to keep yourselves and your belongings stored in our designated room, as we will not be using their space again this weekend.

We strongly encourage you to reach out if you want us to help you make professional connections. We have already started doing this for a few groups. Some of you have independently found professionals, like veterinarians, to consult with, which is fantastic. For example, we recently discussed connecting the "star glasses" team with MIT students doing similar work, and we would love to facilitate more introductions like that. We have been doing this a long time and know many people; if you are curious about connecting with anyone at MIT, past alumni, or other experts in your field, just ask us. You never know who we can connect you with until you inquire.

As we enter one of only two weeks dedicated entirely to building, it is crucial to set clear goals for your team. Having a whole week can feel like an eternity or like no time at all. I highly recommend establishing a specific goal to have certain tasks completed by Friday, which marks the halfway point of our program. While your predictions will likely be slightly off—you might accomplish more or less than expected—setting a framework will give your team a clear direction and keep you on track.

To reach these goals effectively, you must divide the work rather than working together as a single mob. Make sure you divvy up the tasks so that each person, or a specific pair of people, knows exactly what they are responsible for. Rather than focusing on just one deliverable as an entire group, clearly define what everybody is doing, just as we discussed during our initial project planning phase.

If there are no further questions, let's get back to work and see what you can accomplish. We are excited to see your progress, especially as we prepare for our next audience.

Team Robo-Dog:

Team SMUR Radio:

Team Rocket Goat:

     Above: Ed explaining Dihedral

         Dihedral is the slight upward "V" angle of an aircraft's wings. In traditional planes, this angle naturally levels the wings in turbulent air. In hang gliders, dihedral—along with wing sweep and pilot weight-shift—creates the handling and self-righting balance necessary for safe flight. [1, 2, 3]

How Dihedral Works

The Basics: When you view a hang glider from the front, the wings slope upward slightly from the center.
Self-Righting: If a bump in the air tilts your glider, the glider starts to slide sideways toward the low wing. This sideways wind hits the lower wing harder. It pushes that wing up, returning the glider to a flat, level position. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Dihedral and Hang Glider Design

Hang gliders do not always use a simple upward bend like a paper airplane. They achieve the "dihedral effect" in three main ways:

Sweep: Hang gliders are swept-back wings. This sweep means the wings naturally help level the glider when it slides sideways, even if the wings look totally flat. [1, 2]
Curved or "Concorde" Wingtips: Many modern hang gliders feature upturned or curved tips. This provides roll stability without completely changing the shape of the main wing. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Pendulum Stability: Hang gliders rely heavily on your body weight hanging below the glider. This weight pulls the glider back to a level position if the wind tilts it. [1, 2, 3, 4]

The Trade-Off: Stability vs. Maneuverability

Too much dihedral makes a glider very stable, but also very stiff. It becomes hard to turn the glider.
Too little dihedral makes the glider very easy to turn, but it can be too sensitive to bumps in the air.
Designers carefully balance this shape. They want the glider to be stable enough for safety, but responsive enough for you to turn and steer using your weight. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Team One-Wing Angels:

Other: