Create Your Own Design
If you’re a creative thinker, designing your own paper airplane is a riveting way to express your imagination. Whether you’d like to craft a cool sporty design or a more artistic, modern one, this exercise of engineering is an awesome adventure of atmospheric aerodynamics.
Crafting your own paper aircraft involves paper folding and sticking. Every material you create will have a unique flight performance and potential, so you must keep that in mind while developing your drawings. Start by brainstorming a few ideas on paper, and then digitizing selected concepts.
If you’re a fan of planes from the 1950s, start by formulating a plan. Draw out the main body, control surfaces, and mechanisms first, then work on the details. Once you’ve created the plan, it’s time to fold it up and get ready for takeoff!
By following the lines on your design, craft the base for your paper plane. Make sure you pay attention to the details when you fold, because having a well-crafted chassis will make or break how well your plane glides through the skies.
Once your body is done, it’s time to add the wings. This is probably the most challenging part of the paper plane-making process. You’ll have to account for air resistance and the size of your wings as you draw and paper-fold them.
Once you’ve drawn the wings, it’s time to trim them. Start by removing large chunks of paper, then refine the edges down to your liking. Since paper planes glide across air currents, refined edges help reduce air resistance.
Reinforce Your Design
Your craft is almost ready for its grand debut, but there’s one crucial step that can no longer be overlooked. To ensure your paper plane is robust enough to take on the great outdoors, you must reinforce it with pieces of tape.
To reinforce your design, tape along the reinforced inner outlines and primary creases. You can also use tape to make the wings more rigid, and apply it along the tail for extra stability.
If your paper plane design has a bullet-like nose, you should add tape along the edge as well. This will keep its sleek design intact, and reduce the chance of a paper cut during flight.
When you’re satisfied with your design, it’s time to adorn it. If you don’t want to go overboard with decorations, consider adding a few sparks of color or tiny stickers on the wings. You can also use a punch-out of your favorite character or phrase.
After adorning your flight bird, grab a handful of rubber bands and attach them to the body. Rubber bands act like miniature jet turbines that let you control the flight of your paper plane.
Take Flight
Once you’ve completed your paper plane, it’s time to take to the skies! Before you make the launch, it’s a good idea to adjust the wings and propellors to get just the right attitude.
When you’re ready, take a few steps backward, take a deep breath, and give your paper plane the push-off it needs to fly. As it starts to glide, marvel at the incredible flight dynamics of your new creation.
Adjust the rubber bands accordingly if your plane isn’t flying the way you’d want it to. After a few tweaks, your paper plane should be ready to soar through the stratosphere.
If your goal is to outmaneuver other paper planes, using rubber bands to create a power-nose and long-distance wing modifications is a great way to go about it. Your paper masterpiece should be able to cut through wind gusts with ease, and ascend to greater heights without resistance.
Tune Your Plane
The beauty of this wonderful craft is that it gives you the chance to tune your paper plane however you’d like. If the wings feel too heavy, you can cut it down to size. If it doesn’t glide the way you’d want it to, you can always work on the angles to get just the right grip.
By trying out different designs, shapes, and angles, you can greatly improve your paper plane’s performance and make it a real wonder in the skies. With some tinkering and a bit of luck, you can craft a paper aeronaut that anyone would be envious of.
Fly Into The Unknown
Each paper plane you design is unique, and learning the basics of engineering can be exciting! Folding and constructing paper aircraft is a great way to explore your creativity and create something truly unique.
Although there is no definitive formula for crafting the perfect paper plane, a few trial-and-errors will do the trick. With some finesse and practice, you can learn the art of paper aviation and soar overseas!
