The data from our first trial of gliders was very inconclusive.  Most of our gliders were falling slowly, and not really gliding.  After we found some shapes that would glide, we tried to design three experiments where we could try to isolate the effect that each variable had on the hang time of our glider.

Center of Gravity

In this experiment, we tried to isolate the role that center of gravity played, by using one glider and changing the center of gravity for different tests.  We only had a limited range of values we could test, because it was almost impossible to make the center of gravity very close to the front, or very close to the back. 

Mass

We tested mass by using, once again, the same shape of glider, but we loaded it with various amounts of mass.  This is our graph.

Aspect Ratio

Our data for aspect ratio was much harder to interpret.  In our design, we had a very difficult time creating a glider that would fly well with different aspect ratios.  We know from research on the NASA website that in theory a glider should have a very high aspect ratio, but we didn't always see that when we tested our gliders.  The shape of our gliders was also changing, and so was the mass.