Alex's Paper Airplanes – the best paper planes

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Author: alexorig

  • Paper Rocket

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    // FLIGHT MANUAL — EASY DIFFICULTY
    Paper Rocket
    1 STEP — ~3 MINUTES — A4 PAPER
    You’re right this is not a paper airplane either but is supremely simple to make and has some very interesting science behind it. This was shown to me by a Cambridge (UK) Physics lecturer so must be a great paper airplane (kinda).
    Paper Rocket
    // VIDEO GUIDE
    // STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
    Step 1: Simply cut out the below shape from a piece of card. - Paper Rocket
    STEP 01
    Simply cut out the below shape from a piece of card. Ideally something like a cereal box with one water resistant side.
    // HOW TO FLY

    Place the rocket on the surface of a sink full of pure water (there must be no soap in the water so rinse the sink out once first). Now drip some washing up liquid into the hole in the center of the rocket cut out. The rocket should shoot across the water.

    This is showing the effect of surface tension. At the back of the rocket where the washing up liquid exudes the surface tension becomes zero but it is still high elsewhere around the rocket. Therefore the resultant force propels the rocket forward. The sink will have to be emptied and refilled before you do this again. This is bad for the environment in the amount of water you use so don’t do this too may times.

  • The Swallow Paper Plane

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    // FLIGHT MANUAL — MEDIUM DIFFICULTY
    The Swallow
    9 STEPS — ~6 MINUTES — A4 PAPER
    This is a paper airplane my father was making when he was a small boy and the design has stood the test of time it works very well.
    The Swallow
    // VIDEO GUIDE
    // STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
    STEP 01 - The Swallow
    STEP 01
    Cut the tail out (see label on DIG. 1) and fold along the diagonal line creasing well.
    STEP 02 - The Swallow
    STEP 02
    DIG. 2 Now fold along the diagonal line on DIG. 2 creasing well.
    STEP 03 - The Swallow
    STEP 03
    DIG. 3 Now it should look like DIG. 3
    STEP 04 - The Swallow
    STEP 04
    DIG. 4 Now fold along the center line labled “fold here” in DIG. 4 and unfold.
    STEP 05 - The Swallow
    STEP 05
    DIG. 5 Then push in from the sides of the line folded in the above step. This will make the shape in DIG. 5 and is at 2:14 in the video
    STEP 06 - The Swallow
    STEP 06
    DIG. 6 Fold the flaps over to form DIG. 6
    STEP 07 - The Swallow
    STEP 07
    DIG. 7 Now fold along the dark grey lines in DIG. 7. See 2:47 in the video.
    STEP 08 - The Swallow
    STEP 08
    DIG. 8 Now fold it together as in DIG. 8. This is complicated, the video at 3:45 helps a lot. Place the tail so that the angle at the end is pressed right up into the nose.
    STEP 09 - The Swallow
    STEP 09
    DIG. 9 Now fold where the dotted line is in DIG. 9 under the wing trapping the tail in place.
    // HOW TO FLY

    The swallow paper airplane is one of my favorites to fly since even the first time you make it you will get it to do some kind of stunt without intending to.

    Throw the swallow holding it at the nose on the side where the tail tucks into the wings. Then throw the swallow paper airplane vertically upward as hard as you can. You will find that it will circle downwards.

    If you have a large area and a windy day you will find that it can go a very very long way and can soar and dive like a real swallow. This is a really fun paper airplane. You could have competitions with your friends to see who can keep their paper airplane up longest.