Hand-designed foam glider with parametric fuselage, KFm-2 airfoils, and full weight/aerodynamic analysis. Every dimension calculated from first principles.
The fuselage follows a parametric teardrop body-of-revolution. Drag the slider to trace the curve and see how the cross-section changes along the body.
y = 12·cos(t)x = 5·cos²(t/2)·sin(t)0 ≤ t ≤ 2π
Three design iterations, each improving on the last. Click to compare dimensions, weight, and aerodynamic tradeoffs.
Adjust the design parameters to see how changes affect flight characteristics. Pre-filled with the actual aircraft values.
Design and build a foam glider aircraft entirely from scratch — no kits, no plans. Every surface defined by parametric equations or geometric primitives, then fabricated from foam using 3D-printed cutting guides.
The fuselage follows a teardrop body-of-revolution. The 2D profile is defined parametrically and rotated around the x-axis:
V = π ∫₀²π [5·cos²(t/2)·sin(t)]² |12·sin(t)| dt
= 120π in³ ≈ 0.218 ft³
At foam density 1.55 lb/ft³:
0.218 × 1.55 = 0.338 lbs = 5.28 ozArea: 2.5 × 4 = 40 in²
Weight ≈ 0.225 ozArea: ½(2+4)×5 = 15 in²
Weight ≈ 0.085 oz
Total tail ≈ 0.31 ozThe Kline-Fogleman mod-2 airfoil was chosen for foam construction:
| Component | Weight (oz) |
|---|---|
| Fuselage | 5.28 |
| Airfoils | 1.05 |
| Tail | 0.31 |
| Payload | 1.60 |
| Glue / Misc | 0.40 |
| Total | 8.64 |
144 in²/ft² × (8.64 oz / 108 in²)
≈ 12 oz/ft² ✓ Good!
Stall speed: 20–25 ft/sec