Hovering Helicopters

To the rescue on land or sea! Put out the fire! Deliver heavy cargo! Design a 3-D model helicopter and discover how they fly.

• 1.

  Helicopters were first designed in the 1930s for military use. They were widely used for the first time in the Korean War. Flying a helicopter takes hours of training and great skill.

• 2.

  Have you noticed that helicopters can fly forward, backward, sideways, straight up, and straight down? They can also hover and stop in mid air. Find out more about their unique maneuvering capabilities. Look at pictures and view films to learn about how helicopters fly. Read about the lifting force provided by the main rotor. Why is the tail rotor important to keep the helicopter flying straight?

• 3.

  What kind of helicopter model would you like to make? What work will it do? Use your imagination along with these ideas to make a realistic replica.

• 4.

  Crumple aluminum foil to create an armature (lightweight form). Shape the foil into a helicopter body, tail boom, and drive shaft for the main rotor.

• 5.

  Cover the foil with a layer of brightly colored Crayola® Model Magic. Use two or three colors if you wish. Mix them to create new hues. Blend in white Model Magic for tints. Air-dry the helicopter at least 24 hours.

• 6.

  On white paper, use Crayola Twistables to draw and color your helicopter’s main rotor and tail rotor. Use Crayola Scissors to cut them out. Push a toothpick through the main rotor. Attach it to the drive shaft. Push another toothpick through the tail roto

• 7.

  Draw and cut out a cockpit. Show yourself as pilot! Use Crayola School Glue to attach the cockpit to the front of your helicopter. Air-dry your construction.

• 8.

  Twist together two or three chenille sticks to create sturdy landing skids. Insert them into the bottom of the helicopter. Glue them to the body of the helicopter. Lay the helicopter on its side while it air-dries.

Benefits

• Students research to find out how helicopters fly and differences between various models.
• Students recognize the unique capabilities helicopters have over other means of transportation.
• Students apply what they learn about helicopters by designing their own model helicopter.

Adaptations

• Helicopters transport people, plasma and medicines, fight fires, and mend fences. They also serve as ambulances, cranes, control traffic and animals. In addition, they are valued for mail service, observation, search and rescue, and aerial photography. Cr
• Make a whole fleet of helicopters! Have time-aloft contests with your friends.
• Demonstrate your knowledge of the important parts of the helicopter. Use sticky labels to designate parts of the helicopter such as the cockpit, drive shaft, and tail boom.