This is a fascinating fact file and learn-it-yourself project book. It is an accessible and lively introduction to every aspect of flight, including wings and lift, air resistance, gliding and soaring, in both machines and the animal kingdom. It features 18 hands-on experiments to help you really find out for yourself - make a miniature plane and a hot-air balloon, construct a kite, and build models to demonstrate how birds fly and how jet engines work. It features more than 240 pictures include step-by-step photographs and explanatory diagrams. It is ideal for 8- to 12-year-olds for home or school use. For both humans and animals, wings are the quickest way to get around. A peregrine falcon's dramatic dive makes it the swiftest creature on Earth. A jumbo jet's engine makes it ten times faster than a boat or a train. This exciting and practical science book explains how insects, birds, bats and machines are able to fly, how wings and engines work, what flight is like in Space, and what the future may hold. Easy-to-do projects using everyday objects allow young scientists to discover the fantastic facts for themselves. You can see how a propeller operates and how a rocket blasts off into the heavens. You can make a fun frisbee, a model parachute, and turn a simple balloon into a hovercraft! Detailed photographs and diagrams accompany all the projects and illustrate the various aspects of flight, carrying young readers along on a thrilling journey through the world of air travel.