Facts About the Weight of Paper Airplanes

Paper airplanes need a lot of weight on the nose.

Although it seems logical that a paper plane should weigh as little as possible to reduce the effect of gravity, this does not always prove true. This is why some of the most traditional paper plane designs do not always fly very well.

Identification

Weight does not affect the flight of a paper airplane as much the design of the plane itself. Heavier planes can glide through air more easily than a light plane, as long the wings can support it.

Features

Every paper airplane has a point where it balances, called the "center of gravity." Another point, called the "neutral point," exists where the nose lines up perfectly with the rest of the plane. The majority of the weight of the paper airplane needs to lie some place above the "neutral point."

Shape

For the traditional dart-shaped paper airplane, regular paper works best. Paper airplanes with longer wings, such as those with a rectangular shape, need a heavier material, such as cardboard, to support the force of air on the wings.

Considerations

In order to find the proper distribution of weight for an airplane, the maker will constantly need to readjust the weight of the nose and the shape of the wings, much like planes in real life. A person can simply balance the plane on a finger to find the center of gravity.

Tips

Expert paper airplane designers often add a little weight to the nose of the craft with a paperclip or pennies to give it more lift. A good paper plane bobs up and down, but eventually reaches a stable speed.

References

• Argonne National Laboratory: Paper Airplane Weight and Flight
• PaperPlane.org: Paper Airplane Aerodynamics
• "The World Record Paper Airplane Book;" Blackburn, Ken and Lammers, Jeff; 2006