Earthlings FLL Team
Turnipseed Science '10
DKTurnipseed is a young science and arts
student in Cleveland, Ohio.  This year, his
Science Fair project dealt with icing on the
wings of planes.

2010 SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT:

How does ice effect wings on a
plane?

Elite Academy of the Arts, Cleveland, Ohio

HYPOTHESIS:

Ice won't effect the wings on a plane.  After all,
planes fly in the winter all the time.

MATERIALS:

1 model plane
suspension of model (model stand used)
1 tunnel
1 fan
1 candle (for wax for fake ice)

EXPERIMENTS:

1.        plane without ice in low wind
2.        plane without ice in high wind
3.        plane with "ice" in low wind
4.        plane with "ice" in high wind

OBSERVATIONS:

1.        plane "flies" steady
2.        plane "flies" slightly, partly bumpy
3.        plane "flies" slightly, partly bumpy
4.        plane "flies" entirely bumpy

THEORY:

Ice on the wings of a plane change the shape
of the wings from smooth to bumpy, which
changes the air flow from smooth to bumpy.

RESOURCES:

Earthman's Education Services, Inc.
godfather
Internet

OF ADDED INTEREST:

For more of young scientist DKTurnipseed's
adventures, see the links below and stay tuned.


2007 EES Earthlings

2008 E3 Earthlings

2008 E3 Young Earthlings

2009 E3 Earthlings

2009 E3 Young Earthlings

Turnipseed Science '09

Turnipseed Art!
DKT assembles the wind tunnel.
Painting the parts of the plane
model and putting them together...
DKT places the plane model in the
wind tunnel then puts the fan in place.
With adult assistance, DKT drips wax
on the wings of the plane model to
simulate a build up of ice.
The experiment is repeated with the
model with "icing" on the wings.