Paper Airplanes
Insider Info
Paper airplanes are one of the simplest forms of aerodynamic engineering.
Basic planes need only a sheet of paper and a few folds. Sophisticated versions
can involve heavy paper and clips that add weight and dimension. So start
folding and get ready to watch your creased-creature soar!
It's hard to say exactly how many people are interested in paper planes.
But it's a safe estimate that many people have attempted to make and fly at
least one plane in their lives.
People of all ages enjoy turning a piece of paper into a creation that
takes flight. Michael O'Reilly is an American who is currently living in Costa
Rica. He maintains a website devoted to paper planes, with the instructions
for what he says is the best paper airplane in the world.
O'Reilly has been amazed at the number of visitors to his site. "When I
posted the paper airplane instructions on the Internet, I did not expect the
reaction that these pages would cause. We are currently receiving around 12,000
visits per month from all over the world."
O'Reilly says you need certain conditions to fly a paper plane. "I would
consider ideal conditions to be a very slight breeze in an open area away
from trees and obstructions. A hot asphalt road causes an updraft that helps
keep the plane aloft, but this could be dangerous if there is traffic."
If you are just starting out in this hobby, it is important not to lose
your patience. Depending on how difficult the folding is, people can become
frustrated. A wadded up ball of paper has a different flight path than a properly
folded model! Sometimes, two people will make a better plane because one may
overlook something that the other doesn't.
The most important piece of advice from the experts is have fun!
If making paper planes in your spare time just isn't enough, think about
these related careers:
Hobby store owner: Share your enthusiasm with others!
Pilot: Fly the friendly skies for a commercial company or for yourself.
Engineer: Plan and design all kinds of things.
Getting Started
Folding a paper plane is a form of origami. A piece of paper is transformed
into a recognizable shape or object. On the Internet, in books and on paper
plane computer software, you will find patterns to follow with all the steps
outlined.
Having good hand-eye coordination can sometimes make the folding a bit
more accurate. There are different models to choose from too: the whizzer,
the floater, the pyroplane, the kiter and the flash are a few of the types
to be found.
For a basic model, all that you require is an 8.5-by-11-inch sheet of paper.
Some optional items include cellophane tape, crayons, markers, paint, cardboard,
scissors, thread spools and cardboard rolls from bathroom tissue or paper
towels.
As you can see, you will find most of the materials around your home or
school. This is an inexpensive hobby that will allow you to be as creative
as you want to be.
Experimenting with different materials and patterns will have different
results. The One North Pole website suggests making a whole fleet of planes,
with a variety of decorations, taping them into place so they don't unfold
and then making a hangar or an aircraft carrier out of a box. By doing this,
you will have an original toy that no one else will ever be able to copy.
One supreme paper plane enthusiast is Ken Blackburn, an engineer for McDonnell
Douglas's F-18.
When he started working for the company, he held the world record for the
longest flight, but wasn't sure if he should let his co-workers know. He thought
that paper planes might not be seen as an adult hobby. But when it did come
out, he found that a lot of his co-workers had an interest in flying as well.
His record-breaking plane was more squarish than what you might think a
plane would be like. According to Blackburn, the shape and design of the plane
are important, but so is the toss. He estimates that his throw must exceed
50 miles per hour. And he would know -- his longest flight was 18.8 seconds.
See if you can top that!
For those people who enjoy paper planes and want a new challenge, model
planes are sometimes the next step. This hobby is more expensive, with estimates
of start-up costs going from $300 to $500. There are associations and clubs
that will train people to fly paper planes - they will inform pilots of restrictions
to do with height and airspace.
Associations
Academy of Model Aeronautics
Muncie
,
IN
47302
USA
Internet
:
http://www.modelaircraft.org/
Publications
Super Flyers,
by
Neil Francis
The World's Greatest Paper Airplanes,
by
Peter Murray
30 More Planes for the Paper Pilot,
by
Peter Vollheim
Links
Paper Airplanes: Quick and Simple
A list of instructions
Build the Best Paper Airplane in the World
Michael O'Reilly's page
Paper Airplanes
With diagrams and directions
Back to Career Cluster