Popsicle Stick Airplanes

Welcome to our Electrical Activity Room!

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Electrical Engineering

Today’s Activity and What we need

Making the Airplane

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Electrical Engineering!

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What is Electrical Engineering? 

Electrical engineering is the design, development, and maintenance of electrical systems and devices, including powering homes and businesses, designing advanced electronics, and communication systems.

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What Electrical Engineers do

Electrical engineers can work in Design and Development, Project Management, Testing and Evaluation, Maintenance and Troubleshooting, and Research and Development

What industries do electrical engineers work in?

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• Telecommunications
• Power generation

• Automotive
• Aerospace

• Consumer electronics
• Biomedical

Brief History of Airplanes

The history of airplanes is a testament to human ingenuity and engineering prowess.

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Ancient Flight: The Chinese invented the kite around 300 BC, which inspired the development of kites and gliders.

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1903: The Wright brothers successfully flew their first powered airplane, marking a pivotal moment in aviation history.

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20th Century: Advances in engine technology and aerodynamics led to the development of larger, faster aircraft capable of carrying more passengers and cargo.

Today’s Activity

Designing a Vintage popsicle stick airplane using a DC Motor

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YOU WILL NEED…

2 AA Battery and Holder

1 DC Motor and Holder

2 Jumbo Popsicle Sticks

1 Mini Popsicle Stick

1 Mini Breadboard

1 Propeller

1 2-pin micro switch

2 male to male wires

Making the Airplane

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STEP 0 - Pre-assembled components

1. Some parts have already been built for you to save time! Your battery holder has red and black wires attached, and your popsicle stick frame (the X-base, vertical support, and horizontal motor mount) is already glued together and ready to use.

Airplane Layout

AA Battery and Battery holder

Breadboard

2-pin Switch

Male to male wires

DC motor

Breadboard Connections

Each row is connected internally. On the left, the brown line represents the first few rows.

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The rows serve as connection points. This means that any components placed in the same row will be connected.

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This Row is connected

STEP 1 – Connect the wiring; Motor to Wire Connection

1. Take one male-to-male wire and attach it to one terminal of the motor.
2. Take a second colored male-to-male wire and attach it to the other terminal of the motor.
3. Make sure connections are tight and secure using electrical tape

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STEP 2 - Mount the motor

1. Insert the DC motor vertically into the holder.
2. Point the shaft away from the battery holder/ to the front of the plane.
3. Press and twist the motor to rotate.

STEP 3– Connect the wiring; Breadboard to wire connection

1. Once the wire to the motor is secured, connect the red wire to row 3
2. Then take your other color wire (yellow, green, or purple) and connect it to row 7 of the breadboard.

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Motor to Breadboard Circuit

This connection has been circuited

STEP 4 – Connect the wiring; Battery to breadboard

1. Take the red wire attached to the battery holder and connect it to a pin in row 5 of the bread board
2. Connect the black wire from the battery to a pin in row 7 of the bread board

Battery to Breadboard Circuit

This connection has been circuited

STEP 5 – Connect the wiring; Switch to Breadboard

1. Place the switch onto the pins in rows 3 and 5 of the breadboard between the positive terminal of the battery and positive terminal of the motor.

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Switch to Breadboard Circuit

Importance of the Switch

• The switch acts as a control for the motor

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• When the switch is open (off), it breaks the circuit and stops the current from flowing, turning the motor off. When the switch is closed (on), it completes the circuit, allowing current to flow through and powering the motor.

Why Good Electrical Connections Matter?

• Secure electrical connections are critical for any circuit to function properly. Loose or poorly connected wires create resistance, which wastes energy as heat and reduces power delivery to your motor.

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• This means your fan will spin slower or not at all!

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• In this project, ensuring your wires are firmly attached to both the battery terminals and motor terminals means maximum power transfer and a fan that spins at full speed every time

Step 6 - Attach the fan blade

Push the fan blade onto the motor shaft

Step 7- Test your fan������

Insert batteries in the battery holder, press the pin switch, and watch your plane’s propeller spin!

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