2026–2027 · Division B · Build

Elastic Launched Glider

Tune a free-flight glider for consistent time aloft.

Balance · launch · repeatability

Plan for: a booked, clear indoor flight area

2027 · Know before you build

Rules & required-items check

A practical checklist for students, parents and coaches, written from the 2027 Division B manual. Each note points to its source rule.

Get the official manual

Up to 2 gliders

A team has at most two students and five official flights.

Rule 1; 2.a; 4.e.vi

6-minute flight period

Six minutes, confirmed by the September 22 national correction to rule 4.d.iv.

Rule 4.d.iv; 4.e.i–ii

3.5 g < mass < 10 g

Both endpoints are excluded, including ballast throughout flight.

Rule 3.e

Category B eyewear

Bring impact protection for each competitor.

Rule 2.d

Source: printed pages B22–B24 · PDF pages 27–29 · Checked September 13, 2026 (manual); October 25, 2026 (published corrections)

Your team’s packing list

Gliders, launch handles and measurement box
Bring up to two gliders, your launch equipment, and at least one lidless measurement box. Transport boxes may double as measurement boxes. Tools and repair supplies are permitted.
2027 rule 2.a–b
Flight log for the bonus
Record at least 10 flights with peak height, relaxed elastic length, flight time and at least one extra variable. Include units for all numbers.
2027 rule 5.a–c
Ballast and eye protection
Pack Category B eyewear. Bring ballast if you need to adjust mass at inspection to account for differences between scales.
2027 rule 2.d; 4.d.iii

At the competition station

Scoring instruments
The supervisor provides the official measuring tools and timers. Your measurement box remains your responsibility.
2027 rule 2.b–c
Flight venue
The host selects an indoor space and announces approximate room dimensions and ceiling height in advance.
2027 rule 4.a.i–ii

Build to these limits

Box limits apply to its outside
The box, including protrusions but excluding a lid, must fit within 32.0 × 24.0 × 47.0 cm. The complete flight-ready glider must fit without bending or changing its configuration.
2027 rule 3.d; 4.d.ii

Check the nose and kit
Use a blunt nose that cannot reach the inner end of the specified lip-balm cap gauge (about 1.57 cm deep × 1.37 cm wide). Boron filaments are prohibited; kits cannot include pre-glued joints or pre-covered surfaces.
2027 rule 3.a–c

Keep the launcher handheld
The handle, excluding elastic, must be shorter than 1 m in every orientation and fully supported by one student. Use nonmetallic elastic that contacts the glider during launch and stays on the handle.
2027 rule 3.f

Rehearse competition dayTiming, setup and what happens during a scored attempt

Declare each flight
Say whether a launch is for trimming or official scoring. An undeclared flight counts as official. Up to five official flights may use either glider; a flight started within the period can finish afterward.
2027 rule 4.e.ii–vi
Launch and recover independently
Stay on the floor, launch by hand with the handle, and do not steer the glider. Repairs, recovery and trim flights use the same time allowance; outside help and communication are barred in the competition area.
2027 rule 4.b.ii; 4.e.iii,v,ix–x
Expect a final recheck
The supervisor may recheck box fit, mass and handle after flying. Keep all equipment and logs in the area if appealing.
2027 rule 4.f–h

Understand the scoreWhat earns points, what loses them and how teams rank

Best three count
Add the three highest official flight scores after bonuses; a higher sum wins. Flight time ends at floor contact or when the glider is no longer supported by aerodynamic lift, such as resting on a girder.
2027 rule 6.a–c; 4.e.vii
A complete log adds 20%
Each flight gets a ×1.2 multiplier for a complete log, ×1.1 for a partial log, or ×1.0 without one.
2027 rule 6.d
Avoid losing compliant ranking
Construction or competition violations without a separately specified penalty place the team below compliant teams. The longest unused official flight score breaks a tie.
2027 rule 6.f–g

Confirm with your coach or tournament host

Official timing correction
The September 22, 2026 national correction replaces the original 10-minute reference in 4.d.iv with 6 minutes. Rehearse a six-minute flight period; the original manual inconsistency has been resolved.
2027 rule 4.d.iv (09/22/26 correction); 4.e.i–ii
Ask about practice access
Confirm room height and the supervisor's practice-flight policy. General practice stops in the final half-hour; declared trim flights within a team's own period are excepted.
2027 rule 4.a.ii; 4.b.i

Use these preparation notes alongside the authoritative manual, its diagrams, current corrections and the host’s instructions. They are not a complete rule replacement or a certification of your device. Both partners should be able to explain their design and operate it independently.

September 22 national corrections resolve the glider flight period to six minutes and correct Water Quality organism spellings (Phaeophyta, Eucidaris, Octocorallia). October 12 Scrambler kit guidance and form are linked below. Recheck national clarifications and tournament instructions before competition.

Rules corrections Official clarifications Safety & building policies

Kits, stock & delivery

Public seller pages checked October 27, 2026. This is a dated snapshot, not live stock. Prices are advertised USD before shipping/tax; confirm the single-kit option and delivery before paying. An add-to-cart button alone does not establish stock. Kits still need student assembly, testing and rules checks.

Start with the kit explicitly advertised as shipping below, or use the free NFFS building guides. Freedom Flight’s $82 product page shows both Sold out and Add to cart, so it is excluded from this ready-to-ship shortlist. No reliable dispatch date was established for that alternative.

Seller advertises Now Shipping

Guru Glider Kit ’27

Observed price: $45

Manufacturer homepage identifies the current Division B kit: materials for four gliders, tapered carbon-fiber fuselage, Depron foam wing, illustrated instructions, trimming videos and a simple hand launcher. Students assemble and trim; check adhesive and tool needs before ordering.

Availability / restock: No restock wait advertised. No guaranteed dispatch or arrival date published; confirm delivery at checkout.

Check seller source

Build your own

A prototype you can make and improve

Original club build suggestions. Pair these steps with the rule checklist above; they are not an official design or a guarantee of competition compliance.

Parts to gather or borrow

For scratch building: lightweight straight balsa for fuselage/tail and suitable lightweight balsa or foam for the wing; select thicknesses from the chosen NFFS design rather than buying heavy craft wood.
A flat building board, protective sheet, straightedge, fine sanding block, sharp hobby knife used with adult supervision, material-compatible adhesive, small removable clay ballast, and a scale reading to 0.01 g.
Launch elastic and a blunt handheld launch handle; Category B eyewear; cardboard or light board and tape for a lidless measurement box. A kit does not replace the box, scale, log or practice space.

Starter plan: dimensions and assembly

Open the national event page linked below, then its 2027 NFFS Glider Overview and Building Tips for a Basic Non-Flapper Glider. Start with the simpler non-flapper layout; the linked flapper instructions are a later alternative. These are construction/trimming guidance, not a certified 2027 cut template.
Draw a full-size symmetrical plan on paper and build the box before committing to wing dimensions. The outside of the box, including protrusions, must fit 32.0 × 24.0 × 47.0 cm; allow for wall thickness. The flight-ready glider must fit without bending or changing configuration.
Cut matched surfaces, sand with support under delicate pieces, assemble on the protected flat plan and let glue cure. Fit a blunt nose and move small ballast increments until gentle hand glides are stable. Keep total flight mass strictly above 3.5 g and below 10 g.
Only then try low-energy elastic launches in a clear indoor space. Tune center of gravity, incidence and turn separately; the launch handle must be shorter than 1 m in every orientation and student supported. Record each change.

Before calling it ready

Weigh and box-check both finished gliders, verify the nose gauge, and record at least ten flights with all required measurements.
Practice five official flights in the corrected six-minute flight period. Use the current rules checklist above for all remaining restrictions.

3D printing & design files

Potentially useful for a launch handle, building jig or measuring aid if it meets all applicable rules. Printed airframes are not automatically disallowed by the listed material restrictions, but mass, box fit, nose safety and performance still govern; a heavy PLA airframe is a poor first prototype. The official page links an older Thingiverse gauge under Previous Seasons; the model review below explains why its 2020 measurements cannot replace the 2027 box.

There is no blanket approval of all printed parts. The event’s specific material and construction restrictions take priority. Students should retain file source, license, CAD changes, print settings and test results, and build and explain their own device. Ask an official clarification when a design’s legality is uncertain.

The national general FAQ recognizes modeling a 3D-printed component as part of student design and construction. That answer does not waive an event’s material requirements. Read the national FAQ (opens in a new tab).

Official student-building and mentoring policy

Downloadable 3D files & 2027 use

Model review: October 27, 2026. Separate from the kit-stock review. File access and contents were checked; no physical print, load test or tournament approval is implied.

Verified source CAD is available for a hand-glide trimming exercise. It is not supplied as a 2027 elastic-launch competition model. No suitable current launch-handle or measurement-box download was verified. The national page’s old jander14 gauge (4055500) measures 2020 wing chord/fuselage length, not the required 2027 box.

Use the creator’s Files tab or the exact file link below. If a raw STL/STEP opens as text, use Save link as and retain the listed extension. STEP needs CAD export to STL first. For OpenSCAD source, retain included dependencies, render the main part files and export STL. STL has no unit metadata: confirm millimeters in your slicer. Slice the model for your own printer; do not run someone else’s G-code.

Verified file access · Trim practice only

Simple indoor glider — editable practice CAD

By Jeremy Bennett / Embecosm Limited · ZIP · 12,566 bytes · OpenSCAD source, not STL

simple-glider/fuselage.scad
simple-glider/rudder.scad
simple-glider/tailwing.scad
simple-glider/wing-left.scad
simple-glider/wing-right.scad
simple-glider/wings-common.scad

What you can adapt: Use the author’s hand-thrown indoor glider to explore center of gravity, balance and gentle trim changes. Extract the ZIP, keep all six files together, and render/export each of the five part files in OpenSCAD. wings-common.scad is a shared dependency, not a separate part. The repository also contains a different simple-glider-2 design; do not mix its files with this set.
2027 restrictions & required changes: As downloaded this is a hand-thrown practice design, not an elastic-launch entry or a proven route to a competitive device. Its relatively thick printed parts may exceed the strict 3.5 g < mass < 10 g range. Any competition adaptation needs a student-designed safe elastic-launch interface, a blunt nose passing the specified cap gauge, no boron filaments, and a flight-ready fit inside the legal lidless measurement box (outside dimensions at most 32 × 24 × 47 cm). The hand-held handle must be under 1 m in every orientation; nonmetallic elastic contacts the glider and stays with the handle. A hand toss does not replace the prescribed official launch. Use Category B eyewear and the corrected six-minute period for a competition rehearsal.; Rule checkpoints: Elastic Launched Glider 2.a–d; 3.a–f; 4.e; national 09/22/26 correction to 4.d.iv. Practice CAD only as supplied; recheck every construction parameter after redesign.
License & attribution: CC BY-SA 3.0. Retain Jeremy Bennett / Embecosm attribution, identify changes and share distributed adaptations under the applicable ShareAlike terms.

Verification: Downloaded the source archive and checked its ZIP integrity, all six simple-glider source files, license and include dependencies. Both wing files include wings-common.scad, which is present. CAD was not rendered locally; no assembled mass or flight performance has been measured.

Download source ZIP; use simple-glider folder Creator & instructions License source

Verified plans, videos & tutorials

Links were read directly or confirmed on the national event page. Video playback, vendor checkout and downloadable model fabrication have not been tested. Historical resources are labeled; an older video cannot set 2027 dimensions.

2027 assembly and trimming videos

Manufacturer’s current-season instruction/video page, intended for its own kit.

Official glider resources and historical gauge link

Free 2027 NFFS overview, basic non-flapper and flapper building/trimming guides, overview video and YouTube playlist. The older printed gauge does not replace the 2027 measurement box. PDF targets are linked by the national page; direct PDF retrieval was blocked during this review.

Official flight-period correction

September 22 correction changes rule 4.d.iv to six minutes.

Plan your practice kit

Suggested supplies, not a mandatory shopping list. Borrow shared equipment first; confirm every competition item against the rules before purchasing.

Prototype supplies

Lightweight airframe stock and suitable adhesive after checking the rules
Permitted elastic launch equipment and trimming supplies

Shared tools

Fine mass balance, ruler and stopwatch
Coach-approved measuring gauge and eye protection

Storage & records

Rigid glider box with individual supports
Flight log and a way to identify each revision

Your first practice

Make one useful comparison.

1
Confirm the flight space and safety procedure before assembling a launch setup.
2
Record balance and geometry for a baseline glider.
3
Compare repeated flights with one trim or launch change at a time.

Build a record you can learn from

Keep every trial, including failures. Record the conditions, one changed variable, what happened and the next decision.

• Peak flight height (m)
• Relaxed elastic length (cm)
• Flight duration (s)
• Launch pitch (degrees)
• Glider mass (g)
• Stall, dive or turn observations

Download blank test log

Original club CSV template. Save it in your team’s approved workspace and share it with your coach. It does not upload or sync to student progress, and it does not replace any required official log.

A role for everyone

Students

Own the design decisions. Keep a revision record, learn the relevant rules and be ready to explain how your device works and why you changed it.

Parents

Arrange transport and reliable access to a suitable flight space. Keep the glider protected between practices.

Coaches

Check current measurements and required log fields; supervise launches and distinguish a lucky flight from a repeatable setting.

Resources for your next step

Official Elastic Launched Glider resource page

Official event page links to National Free Flight Society resources. Its sample diagram is from a previous season.

Official webinars & event workshops

Find coaching sessions and recordings. Check each resource’s event, division and season.

Elastic Launched Glider

Tune a free-flight glider for consistent time aloft.

Rules & required-items check

Up to 2 gliders

6-minute flight period

3.5 g < mass < 10 g

Category B eyewear

Your team’s packing list

Gliders, launch handles and measurement box

Flight log for the bonus

Ballast and eye protection

At the competition station

Scoring instruments

Flight venue