Much has been said on this issue. Here's another angle: I believe the
single largest source of new AND YOUNG blood in our hobby has been
Science Olympiad. The students I coached early in the existence of the
Wright Stuff event started out using c-paper or Japanese tissue. As we
learned more about indoor freeflight, we ALL transitioned to using mylar
films. The paper was far harder for them (and me on my own early
planes) to work with than mylar films. Both covering and the effect of
humidity were significant issues. I saved a corkscrewed wing to show
students the need to thoroughly pre-shrink paper.
If the middle and high school kids in Science Olympiad find mylar
easier, then it is reasonable to generalize to all newbies. I
definitely favor the new rules proposal if A-6 is intended to be an
accessible entry level class.
My 2 cents.
--
Marty Alderman
Physics Teacher!
Science Education Consultant/Professional Development Provider
Ithaca College Science Ed. Instructor
2012-15 Ithaca College Physics Ed. Tchr In Residence (TIR)
2007-9, 2010-11, 2012-13 Cornell University PhysTEC TIR
Summer 2011 NAIC Arecibo Observatory REU Coordinator
malderman_at_ithaca.edu, mda355_at_gmail.com
At some point in their lives, most people ask themselves:
"Does my life have meaning?"
Most teachers answer it emphatically:
"Absolutely! YES!"
Received on Sat Sep 06 2014 - 17:23:43 CEST