Fun Science Projects Working With Paper Airplanes
Flying in an airplane is a scientific marvel, but it can be hard for students to experiment on these colossal aircraft. Paper airplanes offer an accessible alternative; students can test all the same variables that affect a real plane. Whether you want to break the longest flight time or make your plane do a barrel roll, you can explore the principles of flight with paper airplane projects.
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Center of Gravity
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Ensure that each airplane is as uniform as possible for accurate results. The balance of a plane can influence the distance it travels and its flight pattern, sending it straight or making it veer to the side. To test how the center of gravity affects the flight of a paper airplane, construct several planes with the same template and materials. Attach a paper clip to different parts of different planes. You could put a paper clip on the front end of one, the back end of one, the wing of one, both wings of one and the center of one. Set up a launcher for the planes, such as a simple catapult or sling-shot. You can throw them yourself, but because you can't throw at precisely the same angle and thrust each time, your results won't be as accurate. Compare flight patterns to determine which center of gravity contributes to the farthest flight.
Different Designs
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Different airplanes have different strengths and weaknesses. There are several templates for building paper airplanes. Some have three folds, and some have more than seven. Some are made of thick, heavy paper and some use alternative materials such as ice pop sticks for a skeletal structure. To test how these various designs contribute to different flight patterns, try constructing five to 10 paper airplanes from different templates. Research what makes planes fly and how to optimize these qualities in paper airplanes. Make a hypothesis about which design will fly the farthest and run tests using a launcher, noting which planes achieved the best results and why you think they did.
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Launch Angle and Windspeed
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Even a well-designed plane needs the right launch conditions. Many variables affect the flight of a paper airplane, including the circumstances of its launch. Imagine an airplane being launched at an angle just off of the ground, then imagine it being launched at 90 degrees. Hypothesize which angle will give an airplane maximum distance and whether that angle will change depending on the airplane's design. Run several tests at different angles, such as 25, 30, 45, 60 and 75 degrees, using the same paper airplane and the same launch thrust. Make sure there is no wind in the launch area.
Another factor that affects paper airplane motion is the wind. The wind can the airplane to veer, or it can slow it down or speed it up if it comes from the front or the back of the plane. You can test how the speed of the wind affects paper airplane flight by setting a fan up behind, in front of and on the side of the plane's course. Run tests from all locations at least three times for each fan speed.
Trick Planes
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Your paper airplane may not fly like a Blue Angel, but it can do some basic tricks. If you have ever watched an air show, you have probably seen pilots do some amazing tricks, such as fly their planes in loops, twist over and over in a barrel roll or climb toward the sky to free-fall back to the ground, starting their engine again just before they hit. Your paper airplane may not be able to do all of those tricks, but it can do a few. Research how pilots perform these tricks and design a paper airplane to emulate the effects a real plane experiences. You can make your plane loop, roll, dive, hover or boomerang back to you.
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References
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