PAPER FLYERS

Would you like to fly a plane? How about a paper airplane? Here are the directions for folding a common paper airplane. After a few trial flights, measure the distance and starting height of each flight. Chart and compare your measurements with measurements of your classmates.

A. Start with a piece of paper, 8x11 inches. Fold in half the long ways.

B. With the fold at the bottom, fold back the front, short edge to form a triangle on each side.

C. Next, fold down the new fold you have created to the original fold on the bottom edge.

D. Last, fold down the newest fold you have created to the original fold on the bottom edge. This will make your stream lined paper airplane.

How is a paper plane like a real plane? The basics of why paper airplanes fly, and why full size airplanes fly, are identical. They create lift and drag, and are stable or unstable for the same reasons. All real airplanes have trim tabs to make small adjustments to the plane, and all paper airplanes need small adjustments to fly their best. Place a paper clip on the nose of your paper airplane. Experiment with a few flights and the move the paper clip back an inch and try another flight. Find the best position for the best flight.

How is a paper plane unlike a real plane? Obviously, paper airplanes look different than most airplanes; they differ in size and in materials. There are also some definite aerodynamic differences between paper airplanes and full size planes.

How is a paper plane tail unlike a real plane's tail? The horizontal tails on full size planes have an elevator (control surface across the back edge of the horizontal tail) which the pilot rotates (back edge) up to make the plane nose up and fly slower, or down to nose the plane down and speed up. Paper airplanes accomplish the same thing by bending the back edge of the wing up to fly slower, of down to fly faster.

Connect to the following site to find directions on many more styles of paper airplanes, including the dragon, plus paper helicopters and gliders.

http://www.paperairplanes.co.uk

Paper Airplane Flight Simulator

After you have had fun and charted your success, try flying a Paper Airplane Flight Simulator at: http://www.workman.com/fliersclub/simulator2.html

Before you throw, set angle, thrust, and elevator by moving the yellow, red, and white circles.

Throws are rated by four different statistics: distance in feet, maximum altitude in feet, time aloft in seconds, and number of revolutions.