Amazing Paper Planes
Tried of the same old paper airplane designs? Try these two unusual ones.
1. Straw Plane
Things you’ll need: one strip of paper 1.5 cm x 9 cm long, one strip of paper 2 cm x 12 cm, plastic straw (21cm), and tape
1. Make a loop out of each strip of paper, overlapping the ends and taping them inside and outside the loop. The overlapped ends will form a pocket into which you can slip the straw.
2. Put one loop on each end of the straw by slipping the straw through the pockets you’ve made.
3. Done!
Paper airplanes – even the odd looking one you’ve just made – fly using the same principles as real airplanes. When they’re moving, the shape and angle of their wings cause the air to move faster over the wing than under it. This reduces the pressure of the air above the wing, increases the pressure underneath the wing, and the plane is held up by the difference.
A real airplane must race down the runway to get the air moving fast enough past the wings to create enough difference in air pressure to lift it, and then must stay above minimum speed while in the air.
2. Heli-paper
Can you make a helicopter out of paper? Hard? Then try this simple one.
Things you’ll need: a piece of paper 25cm x 5cm, scissors, and a paper clip
- Draw the pattern on the piece of paper as shown above. Cut along the solid lines and then fold on the dotted lines.
- Fold A forward and B backward.
- Fold C in and overlap it with D.
- When D and C are folded, fold upward E.
- Holding it with E towards the ground, lift your heli-paper above your head and drop it.
- Try launching it from as high a place a possible.
- Put a paper clip over the folded part at E. Then see if it changes the flight pattern.
Danupon Drake 