Mission planning letter (AW-1)
Dear airborne
mission scientist:
Planning an
airborne remote sensing mission requires the consideration of many factors
that may affect the success of the mission. The first step in selecting
the best research aircraft for this mission is to identify the right
questions to ask about the mission. The answers to these questions will
guide us in selecting the most appropriate aircraft. Then, it is important
to explore the characteristics of each available research aircraft.
Finally we will analyze the information about the mission and the characteristics
of the available aircraft to select the best one for the mission.
As airborne
mission scientists, we would like to request your help in selecting
the best aircraft for flying this mission. Specifically, we would like
your recommendation on: Which is the best
aircraft for our mission and why?
We look forward
to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
M. McCarthy
Director of Airborne Mission Science Division for
KaAMS
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Lesson: Aeronautics:
What do we need to know?
Activity sheet: Observations of paper
airplane flights (AW-2)
Name: ________________________________________
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What was the condition for flight?
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What
happened?
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Make one group stand farther back (models fight
duration).
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It takes more thrust (a harder throw) to get
the paper airplane through the hoop when the hoop is farther away.
Maybe different airplanes are better at flying farther than others.
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Tape a stone on one group's plane (models weight
vs. lift).
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Plane fell down quicker than without the stone.
More thrust is needed to make a heavier plane fly. So, if we
have lots of weight, we may need bigger engines to carry it.
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Blow a fan near hoop (models weather).
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Plane will fly all over; maybe even go out
of control if there is too much wind or weather. Flying in good
weather insures safety of instruments and crew.
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Raise and lower hoop (models altitude).
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The higher the hoop, the harder one must throw
the plane to get through the hoop. Some planes are better at
flying higher (bigger engines, or different aircraft design) than
others.
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Require one group to propel their plane with
a rubber band (models thrust).
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An aircraft with more thrust can fly farther
and higher. Some planes are designed with this in mind, but usually,
planes are designed to accomplish a specific set of mission requirements
that include distance, altitude, weather, weight, etc.
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Understanding the four forces that can affect flight (AW-4
and 4A)
The four forces
How many forces act on an airplane? 4? 3? 2? 1 ? Any of these could
be correct!
What happens when you stick your hand out
the car window while the car is moving?
When you raise your hand at an angle to the airflow, it acts
exactly like a flat plate.
The aerodynamic force it
feels pushes it diagonally backward.
This force can be broken up into a system that is easier
to work with.
The lift and drag are the horizontal and vertical
components of the force acting on the plate. The lift is always taken to be perpendicular to the wind, and
the drag is parallel to the wind.
Four forces and Flight (AW-4A)
This is the same way we can describe the forces
acting on an aircraft.
In a glider thrust is not provided from an
engine, but comes from the component of gravity in the direction of
flight. (Note: If the forces are all in balance (equilibrium), the aircraft
will not change its direction of flight. If the forces are NOT in balance, see
the explanation for four forces websites
for further explanation.)
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Activity
sheet: Four forces of flight (AW-3) - answer key
Name: ________________________________________
1. What
are the four forces of flight? Define each then draw and label arrows
around the airplane below showing how each force acts on airplanes during
flight.
| Force |
Definition |
1. lift
2. weight
3. thrust
4. drag
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Lift is the force that is generally upward.
It is the force that holds the airplane up.
Weight is a force caused by gravity. Gravity is what pulls you
and everything else back down to the ground.
Thrust is produced by the
aircraft's engines. It is the force that moves the airplane forward.
Drag is the force that tries to slow down a moving
object. To lessen the drag that an aircraft feels, most aircraft
are designed to be as aerodynamically efficient (streamlined)
as possible.
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2. Why do airplanes
fly? Draw a picture to illustrate your answer. Hint: air and wings
The air above a wing tends to move faster than
the air below it. According to Bernoulli's Principle, slower moving
air has higher pressure than faster moving air. That means that the
air pressure pushing up on the bottom of the wing is greater than the
pressure pushing down, so the wing goes up.
3. What factors can affect
flight? For example, weight of cargo.
Weight of payload, weather, altitude, flight
duration, 4-forces
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Group activity reference sites
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Activity sheet - Kite selection (ARSM-5) - answer key
Team member names:__________________________________________________________
Name: _______________________________
1. What factors do you need to consider when selecting a kite for a remote
sensing mission?
- Cost – a factor in selecting the
kite
- Wing span – the larger the kite,
the more weight it can carry aloft.
- Wind range – wind velocities vary
with the seasons and geographical location.
- Skill level – is the kite for a
novice, intermediate, or expert kite flier?
- Stability – the degree of maneuverability
of the kite.
2. As in kite selection, we must select the optimal
aircraft to house the remote sensing instrument for a mission. What
characteristics of the aircraft and remote sensing instrument do you
need to know about to select the best aircraft for a mission?
Size of remote sensing instrument, weight of
remote sensing instrument, ideal altitude for using remote sensing instrument,
weather conditions for use of remote sensing instrument.
Aircraft cargo size and weight capabilities, aircraft maximum
altitude, aircraft speed, aircraft flight duration and
range.
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Activity sheet: Weather and flight (ARSM-6) - answer key
Team member names:__________________________________________________________
Name: _______________________________
1. About weather at Hawaii and Dryden Flight Research Center
2. About weather and aircraft
- What are the most critical weather elements that
influence flying a mission?
- Ice, lighting, low visibility, and turbulence
are generally considered the most critical elements of weather that
influence flight.
- Why is it important to examine weather for an airborne remote sensing mission?
- The atmosphere is composed of air, air can
freeze, lift and drop aircraft, become saturated with water, form
clouds, and become electrically charged (lightening). More than
30% of aircraft disasters are related to weather.
3. Why is weather important in planning the
KaAMS missions?
- Where is the target location for data collection?
- What weather phenomenon may cause problems for this
airborne remote sensing mission?
- Hurricanes, turbulence, clouds
(can't see the target), murky water conditions (pollution, algae
bloom, big surface winds)
- Why can flying airborne remote sensing missions around
the mission site be hazardous?
- Weather systems produce many
conditions that are adverse to aircraft operations. These include
high winds, turbulence, and icing. Volcanic eruptions also create
situations, such as ash clouds that choke engines and cause them
to quit.
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Activity sheet: Plan to
fly there (ARSM-7) - answer key
Team member names:__________________________________________________________
Name: _______________________________
Departure time: What time will
we leave? (hint: day or night, morning or afternoon?)
Early morning, 8:00 am western standard time
Departure airport: From what airport
will we leave? (hint: what is the home base of the aircraft?)
NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at
Edwards Air Force Base, Edwards California
Route of fight: How will we get
there? (hint: what is the best path between the takeoff point and
data collection target?)
Dryden (Start) – to – Honolulu
(land for service/rest) – to – Kailua Bay
Kailua Bay – to – Honolulu
– to – Dryden
Weather and flight: What are the
acceptable weather conditions for this flight?
Light winds, less than 15% cloud coverage
Arrival airport: Where will we
land? (hint: will you need to stop somewhere else before returning
to your original airport?)
Honolulu Airport
Teacher note:
It is recommended that we will use an Air Force
base for a landing site because a NASA mission has close ties to
the military. Hickam airport is the only Air Force base in the islands
of Hawaii. Therefore it is considered to be the ideal destination
airport for the mission. However the map builder for great circle flight
path display does not recognize military airports and we will use
Honolulu Airport (the closest civilian airport) as a landing site
for this exercise instead of Hickam airport.
Estimated time en route: How many
hours will it take to get to each destination? (hint: rate x time
= distance)
1. From Dryden to Honolulu
From Dryden to Honolulu: (2600 mile/
470 mph) = Time (5.5 hours)
Total flying time: 5.5 hours
2. From Honolulu to Kailua Bay to Honolulu:
( approximately 20 miles)
From Honolulu to Kilauea to Honolulu:
3 hours (data collection time, including time to climb and descend
to/from 65,000 ft.)
Total flying time: 2 hours
3. From Honolulu to Dryden
From Honolulu to Dryden: (2600
mile/ 470 mph) = Time( 5.5 hours)
Total flying time: 5.5 hours
Grand total: 5.5 hours + 2
hours + 5.5 hours = 13 hours
Arrival time: What time will we
land at each destination? (hint: what time did you take off and how
long is your flight?)
Departure time +
Estimated en route hours, e.g., 8:00 am + X hours and adjust for
time change
What else do you need to include in
your flight plan?
Adjustments for changes in time.
________________________________________________________________________
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Activity sheet: Mission defining questions (AW-8) - answer
key
What would you need to know in order to select the best
aircraft for your remote sensing mission? Generate a list of important
mission defining questions using this worksheet. Add additional
ideas for questions that may not fall into the categories of questions
in the space at the bottom of the worksheet. Be prepared to share your
list of questions and rationale why the question is important.
| Categories of questions |
Specific questions |
| Factors related to the aircraft and remote
sensing instruments. |
How much cargo (weight
and size) can the aircraft hold? |
| How much power
does the aircraft have available for remote sensing instruments? |
| What is the maximum
altitude, speed, and flight duration of the aircraft ? |
| What are the weather
conditions under which the aircraft can fly? |
| How many crew members
are needed to fly the aircraft? |
| What is the length
of runway needed to takeoff and land? |
| How expensive is the
aircraft to operate? |
| How much does the remote
sensing equipment weigh? |
| What is the best altitude
and aircraft speed for using the remote sensing instrument to collect
data? |
| How much onboard power
does the remote sensing instrument require? |
| What weather conditions
are necessary for the best data collection for the remote sensing
instrument? |
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| Factors other than the aircraft and remote
sensing instruments. |
What are the weather
conditions necessary for the mission and what conditions are common
at the target site? |
| How long will
the data collection be? |
| What time of
year, or day, does the data need to be collected? |
| What hazards
might interfere with the flight? |
| Who are the people
involved in planning and flying the mission? |
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| Factors involved in the actual flight
planning process. |
Where does the aircraft
have to fly? |
| How long is the mission? |
| At what altitude are
the remote sensing images to be gathered? |
| Who are the available
crew for flying the mission, when are they available? |
| What airports are suitable for
the takeoff and landings and in case of emergencies? |
| What is the runway length at
the available airports? |
| When is the flight to take place? |
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Kids as Airborne Mission Scientists
Activity sheet: Presentation rubric
(AW-9)
Defining the parameters of the airborne
remote sensing mission
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Presenters:
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Reviewers:
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Date of review:
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Presentation elements
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Rating |
| Strong |
Good |
Needs more work |
| Assess the questions that addressed issues related
to the type of aircraft and remote sensing instruments. |
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| Assess the questions that addressed factors other
than aircraft and remote sensing instruments. |
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| Assess the questions that addressed factors involved
in planning a flight. |
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| In general, the questions presented were clearly
stated. |
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| In general, the types of questions listed were
important to the to overall mission. |
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| Evidence was presented that justified each of
the questions. |
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| The presenters provided evidence of working effectively
as a team. |
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Specific comments:
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rev
October 13, 2002
