1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,000 Hi, I'm Van Hughes. 2 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:07,920 Hi, and I'm Shelly Canright. 3 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:13,400 Welcome to NASA Connect, the show that connects you to the world of math, science, and NASA. 4 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:17,920 Right now, we're coming to you from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum located in Washington 5 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:18,920 D.C. 6 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:22,280 And Shelly, this is the perfect location to talk about the shape of planes. 7 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:23,280 Hey, that's right, Van. 8 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:27,840 If there's one place where you can experience the entire story of flight, this is it. 9 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:33,160 The National Air and Space Museum is home to 356 aircraft where collectively they reflect 10 00:00:33,160 --> 00:00:34,960 the science of flight. 11 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:38,680 The museum is home to the first airplane developed by the Wright Brothers. 12 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:43,120 Notice how the propellers are in the back and the stabilizing wings are in the front. 13 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:47,480 There's the Fokker T-2, the first plane to cross America coast to coast, and Charles 14 00:00:47,480 --> 00:00:52,880 Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis, the first airplane to fly nonstop across the Atlantic. 15 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:56,440 Then there are other planes which pushed aircraft design even further. 16 00:00:56,440 --> 00:00:59,240 The Bell X-1 is a cross between a plane and a rocket. 17 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:02,440 It was the first airplane to break the sound barrier. 18 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:04,920 The Grumman X-29 has backward looking wings. 19 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:09,280 It goes so fast that the wings were deliberately designed to be unstable in order to enhance 20 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:11,600 the aircraft's maneuverability. 21 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:13,920 The museum also houses the Voyager. 22 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:15,920 Notice how long the wings are. 23 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:21,840 This wingspan ratio enabled pilots Dick Rutan and Jeanne Yeager to fly nonstop, non-refueled 24 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:23,160 around the world. 25 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:26,120 Boy, Shelly, there are a lot of different shapes here. 26 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:29,520 Imagine what the Wright Brothers would have designed if they had access to today's math 27 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:30,520 and scientific tools. 28 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:31,520 Hey, you're right, Van. 29 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:35,860 You know, it's important to know that science and technology are closely related. 30 00:01:35,860 --> 00:01:40,320 Our need to know and understand drives scientific research and leads to the development of technological 31 00:01:40,320 --> 00:01:41,320 products. 32 00:01:41,320 --> 00:01:45,000 Well, Shelly, that's what our show, Shapes of Flight, is all about today. 33 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:49,140 You'll see this interaction between math and science technology as we look at the process 34 00:01:49,140 --> 00:01:50,320 of airplane design. 35 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:51,320 Hey, you know what? 36 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:54,840 We're going to talk to some NASA researchers who will show us the process and the tools 37 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:58,480 to research, develop, test, and evaluate airplane designs. 38 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:02,360 They'll share some challenging problems that they're working on and their solutions, which 39 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:05,520 might result in configurations for future aircraft. 40 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:09,800 And later on, you'll be able to interact live with our researchers by calling in or emailing 41 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:13,680 your questions to the researchers in the NASA Connect studio. 42 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:17,480 We'll also be joined by students from Jones Magnet Middle School in Hampton, Virginia, 43 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:21,220 who will conduct a flight experiment and share their data with us. 44 00:02:21,220 --> 00:02:23,760 And there's much more to this program on the Internet. 45 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:27,400 Whenever you see the NASA Connect website appear on the screen, that will be your clue 46 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:32,400 to check out the site for more information, fun, and activities relating to our discussion. 47 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:33,520 All right. 48 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:37,560 And so then my question to you, have you ever wanted to fly like a bird? 49 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:38,560 Of course. 50 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:39,560 You have. 51 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:43,200 Well, there's one place I know of that's as close to flying like a bird as you can get. 52 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:47,240 It's in North Carolina, not far from where the Wright Brothers flew the first airplane. 53 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:49,800 How would you like to go there and learn about the four forces of flight? 54 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:50,800 Well, sure. 55 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:51,800 All right. 56 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:52,800 First up, can you name the four forces? 57 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:53,840 Okay. 58 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:57,280 We have drag, lift, weight, and thrust. 59 00:02:57,280 --> 00:02:59,120 Hey, that's right. 60 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:03,920 Drag is a force which slows the forward movement of an airplane as it pushes through the air. 61 00:03:03,920 --> 00:03:08,320 Lift is created when the air pressure above a wing is less than the pressure below it. 62 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:12,600 Thrust is created by a power source, which gives an airplane forward motion. 63 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:16,200 And weight is a force of gravity pulling an airplane down. 64 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:21,440 Well, you can learn about these four forces in a real hands-on way, like by hang gliding. 65 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:22,440 Interested? 66 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:24,080 Well, how long will it take us to get there? 67 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:26,560 Oh, about as fast as I can snap my fingers. 68 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:27,560 Well, I'm all ready. 69 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:28,560 Ready to go. 70 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:29,560 All right, then, gang. 71 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:33,120 Well, I'm going to send Van on assignment to Jockey's Ridge State Park in Kitty Hawk, 72 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:35,800 North Carolina to experience flight firsthand. 73 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:37,640 In the meantime, I'm going to North Carolina. 74 00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:41,840 Also, I'm going to Dare County to talk with some experimental aviators who are pushing 75 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:44,680 the envelope of flight, just like our early aviation pioneers. 76 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:45,680 Let's go.