The Flying Machine Book

April 15, 2012
Step-by-step instructions for 35 aerodynamic projects offer hours of fun and an increased understanding of what makes things fly. Physics teacher Mercer, who described science principles in sports in The Leaping, Sliding, Sprinting, Riding Science Book (2006) here provides clear directions for building a variety of flying machines including rockets, gliders, helicopters, boomerangs and assorted launchers. An opening chapter called "Flight School" introduces the Bernoulli principle and four forces: lift, thrust, drag and weight. The author's teaching background is reflected in his artful use of repetition. Each subsequent chapter begins with more flight school, repeating the relevant principles and applying them to the different forms of flying machines described. Many of the constructions use similar techniques and most are not difficult. The models are made of common materials: card stock and old folders, drinking straws, rubber bands and duct tape. Black-and-white photographs by the author show hand positions and paper folds, making the steps easy to follow. He recommends customary safety precautions and periodically reminds readers that some things may take practice. Makers of a series of these models, whether they were constructed as a school project or just for fun, will come away with a heightened understanding of aerodynamic principles. Hands-on activities that encourage imaginations to soar. (Nonfiction. 8-14)

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May 1, 2012

Gr 4-6-Mercer, a physics teacher and the author of the highly educational How Do You Light a Fart? And 150 Other Essential Things Every Guy Should Know About Science (Adams Media, 2009), presents easy-to-follow instructions for making flying toys or shooters from drinking straws, foam plates, used greeting cards, and other common materials. After opening with discussions of the Bernoulli principle and the significance of lift, thrust, drag, and weight on flying devices, he goes on to show, in a mix of brief directions and step photographs, how to construct and adjust a variety of simple missiles, gliders, Frisbees, and boomerangs. Some are launched by hand, some by a stretched rubber band-but for more spectacular speeds and distances he also includes a pressure launcher made from an empty water bottle (stomped), a balloon-in-a-Pringles-can slingshot, and a cardboard platform with a pistol grip. The grape-shooting bazooka fits into the overall sensibility, if not the theme. The author properly suggests or commands adult supervision where appropriate, and repeatedly cautions young experimenters to aim away from friends, pets, and breakables. Incorporating a variety of materials, these models make good alternatives to the ones in Norman Schmidt's Incredible Paper Flying Machines (Sterling, 2001) and other collections more focused on traditional origami.-John Peters, Children's Literature Consultant, New York City

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