1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,000
You must be one of the treehouse detectives.

2
00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:05,000
Hi, I'm Kaylee.

3
00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:08,000
I'm Sam James, an engineering technician.

4
00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:10,000
Hi, Mr. James. I really like this place.

5
00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:12,000
There are so many models.

6
00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:14,000
It's a pretty cool place to work.

7
00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:17,000
All the models you see here are designed by NASA researchers.

8
00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:20,000
I was hoping you could help me understand more about

9
00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:23,000
why models are important and how they're made.

10
00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:26,000
Um, okay, well, this blended wing body,

11
00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:29,000
where do you think we have to start to make this model?

12
00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:31,000
A mold?

13
00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:33,000
Good guess.

14
00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:36,000
Come over to my desk. That's where we'll begin.

15
00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:38,000
Okay.

16
00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:41,000
We use a computer-aided design program, CAD for short,

17
00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:44,000
to make all of our models, like this blended wing body.

18
00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:47,000
Engineers and designers use their design specifications

19
00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:49,000
to create a profile.

20
00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:52,000
Then the programmers create drawings for the operators to use.

21
00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:54,000
What's that over there?

22
00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:57,000
They are molds, which are used to make models.

23
00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:59,000
Do you know how to make a mold?

24
00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:01,000
Sure.

25
00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:03,000
We use several different technologies,

26
00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:05,000
depending on the type of model we're making.

27
00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:07,000
Again, this blended wing model.

28
00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:09,000
One way to make this model airplane

29
00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:12,000
is to put fiberglass or graphite skins in the mold,

30
00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:15,000
then insert what we call hardpoints and bulkheads for support.

31
00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:17,000
That's really neat.

32
00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:19,000
What kind of materials do you use?

33
00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:22,000
We usually use aluminum, balsa wood...

34
00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:26,000
and honeycomb to reduce the weight.

35
00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:29,000
Wow, these are really light.

36
00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:31,000
Are all the models the same size?

37
00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:33,000
Not at all.

38
00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:35,000
Different tests require different types of models.

39
00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:38,000
For instance, the blended wing body.

40
00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:40,000
It's going to be made in two different scales,

41
00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:43,000
a 1%, like the one I showed you earlier,

42
00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,000
and a 14%, like that one on the table over there.

43
00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:50,000
By the way, if this 1% model has a wingspan of 2 1⁄2 feet,

44
00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:53,000
what would be the wingspan of the real airplane?

45
00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:56,000
He doesn't know that I'm a math whiz, too.

46
00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:58,000
That's easy.

47
00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:00,000
1% equals 1 100.

48
00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:05,000
So you just multiply 2.5 by 100,

49
00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:07,000
and you get 250.

50
00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:09,000
You would do great at making a model.