Summary
Areas of Science
Difficulty
Time Required
Average (6-10 days)
Prerequisites
None
Material Availability
Readily available
Cost
Low ($20 - $50)
Safety
No issues
Credits
*Note:
For this science project you will need to develop your own experimental procedure. Use the information in the summary tab as a starting place. If you would like to discuss your ideas or need help troubleshooting, use the Ask An Expert forum. Our Experts won't do the work for you, but they will make suggestions and offer guidance if you come to them with specific questions.
If you want a Project Idea with full instructions, please pick one without an asterisk (*) at the end of the title.
If you want a Project Idea with full instructions, please pick one without an asterisk (*) at the end of the title.
Abstract
Did you know that commercial airline pilots use high-tech flight simulators to learn how to fly big jumbo jets? Before they ever step behind the controls of a real jet they've already logged thousands of virtual air miles. It might not qualify you to fly a real jumbo jet, but you, too, can learn the logistics of aviation by experimenting with the types of flight simulators sold at computer game retailers. Use a flight simulator to investigate the relationship between flap settings and the stall speed of your favorite aircraft. Is the relationship the same or different for different types of airplanes?Bibliography
Here are a couple of websites about flight simulators to get you started:
- (2008). Help For New Flightsimmers. Retrieved May 29, 2008.
- Wikipedia Contributors. (2008, May 25). Flight Simulator. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved May 29, 2008.
Ask an Expert
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Careers
If you like this project, you might enjoy exploring these related careers:
Career Profile
Pilots fly airplanes, helicopters, and other aircraft to accomplish a variety of tasks. While the primary job of most pilots is to fly people and cargo from place to place, 20 percent of all pilots have more specialized jobs, like dropping fire retardant, seeds, or pesticides from the air, or helping law enforcement rescue and transport accident victims, and capture criminals. Pilots enjoy working and helping people in the "third dimension."
Read more
Career Profile
Aviation inspectors are critical to ensuring that aircraft are safe to fly. They conduct pre-flight inspections to make sure an aircraft is safe. They also inspect the work of aircraft mechanics, and keep detailed records of work done to maintain or repair an aircraft. As problems are identified, they may make changes to maintenance schedules, and may be called upon to investigate air accidents.
Read more
Related Links
Cite This Page
General citation information is provided here. Be sure to check the formatting, including capitalization, for the method you are using and update your citation, as needed.MLA Style
Science Buddies Staff.
"Flight Simulators: From Flaps to Flying." Science Buddies,
23 June 2020,
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Games_p007/video-computer-games/flight-simulators.
Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.
APA Style
Science Buddies Staff.
(2020, June 23).
Flight Simulators: From Flaps to Flying.
Retrieved from
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Games_p007/video-computer-games/flight-simulators
Last edit date: 2020-06-23
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