How to Make a Plane Fly As a School Project
Takua Tod San set a world record when his hand-launched paper plane stayed aloft for 27.9 seconds. You may not break a world record, but you can design a plane that will fly a considerable distance as a fun school project or science fair exhibit. Designs may vary in the type of stability they offer: pitch, directional and roll stability. The first refers to the plane's ability to fly at a consistent height, the second to its ability to fly straight, and the third whether it keeps from rolling.
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Instructions
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Make the Planes
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1
Take a piece of paper and fold it lengthwise down the middle.
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2
Form the nose of the plane by taking hold of the corners on the front of the sheet and folding them inwards so that they form a triangle and end in a point.
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3
Form the plane's wings by folding each half of the plane in half again. Bend the outward halves so that they stick out to the side of the plane's body.
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4
Make a variety of planes by repeating these steps and adding modifications. Double-fold the wings of some planes for a slimmer profile. Vary the shape of the nose in others. Put a number or a name on the side of each plane to remember it.
Record
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5
Make a chart to record the distance each plane can fly. Write the name or number of each plane down the left side of each chart. Write the numbers one through five along the top of the chart to represent each of the five times you will fly each plane.
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6
Test to see which designs produce the furthest flight by throwing each from the same place on the floor five times. Throw using the same amount of strength each time you launch a plane into flight.
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Measure the distance each plane traveled by carefully counting the number of steps traveled by each. Do your best to take steps that are equal in length.
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Record the distance traveled by each plane on the chart next to its description.
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Add the total distance traveled by all the planes by totaling the numbers along each row. Rank the planes by the total distance they traveled. Rank the plane that flew the furthest total distance first, and rank the plane that flew the shortest distance last.
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Tips & Warnings
You may try to explain why certain designs produce longer flights. Does the number of folds, or the angle of the wings, or some other factor influence the plane's ability to fly?
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
