Get in formation

November 2024

Q: What aerodynamic phenomena do birds and jets take advantage of when flying in formation, and how do they use it?

Send a response of up to 250 words to aeropuzzler@aerospaceamerica.org. By responding, you are committing that the thoughts and words are your own and were not created with the aid of artificial intelligence. DEADLINE: noon Eastern Nov. 18.

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FROM THE OCTOBER ISSUE: We asked you to explain why every rocket scientist should know what a pogo stick is. Check back on Nov. 1 to read the winning response. Your answers were reviewed by Trevor Elliot, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and the chair of AIAA’s Hybrid Rockets Technical Committee.

WINNER: A pogo stick is a simple vehicle capable of performing various tasks like bouncing and jumping. This concept closely relates to the physics of rockets, as both systems use Newton’s Third Law of Motion. In the case of the pogo stick, the force exerted downward by the person is met with an upward reaction force, allowing them to bounce higher. Similarly, in rocketry, the amount of thrust generated by the engines provides an upward force, lifting the rocket into space. This concept is necessary because there is such a thing called gravity which is a force that pulls everything downward so you need some type of force that will allow you to counter those forces.

Another concept that can be looked at is pogo oscillations, in which fluctuations in the rocket’s propulsion system create vibrational forces similar to the bouncing of a pogo stick. If this issue is not taken care of, these vibrations can resonate through the structure, causing instability and structural issues.

As one can see, pogo sticks offer valuable insights for rocket scientists and by understanding how physics work in a simple system, scientists can better grasp the principles and apply it to rockets.

Harsh Mehta, AIAA student member

Spring Hill, Florida

hmmehta206@gmail.com

Harsh is an aerospace engineering undergraduate at the University of Central Florida.

Trevor Elliott would add that later-career rocket scientists “will likely know of the pogo effect from experiencing Saturn V launches.”