How to Make a Paper Helicopter for a School Project
Helicopters made from paper can help to illustrate the effects of aerodynamics. As a school science project, a paper helicopter can be used to explore why the construction spins while it falls, what makes the helicopter fall slowly through the air, the effects of different weights on the base of the helicopter, the impact of differently shaped and sized helicopter blades and the results when different types of paper are used. Construct multiple, slightly different paper helicopters and examine the different results you get when you drop each. Compare each helicopter and explain why the helicopters behave differently.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Cut a sheet of paper into a long rectangle. The dimensions of your rectangle do not matter, but differently sized rectangles will produce slightly different helicopters.
-
2
Cut a line from the top of the rectangle (starting in the center of a narrow end) that runs approximately one-third of the way down the paper.
-
-
3
Fold the left strip toward you and fold the right strip away from you. You will now have two helicopter blades at the top of your paper rectangle.
-
4
Cut two short lines inward from halfway down the two long sides of the rectangle. Each cut should be roughly one-third of the way in from the side of the rectangle.
-
5
Fold each strip inward over the remaining center third. Your paper helicopter should now have a narrow strip connected to a wider strip that is then connected to the paper blades.
-
6
Fold a small bit of the bottom of the paper helicopter upward and clip it into place with a paperclip. The paperclip will not only hold your bottom folds in place, it will also serve as a weight to keep your paper helicopter upright and stable while it falls.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Construct different helicopters using slightly different methods and compare your results. For instance, try using two paperclips instead of one, making larger and smaller helicopter blades or using three blades instead of two. Some of your helicopters may not fly, some may fall faster and others may spin faster. Examine each helicopter to see if you can explain why you get different results.
