Paper Airplane Aerodynamics

Many early aviation pioneers like Orville and Wilbur Wright were fascinated by the idea of human flight, but to get their iconic Wright Flyer to work properly, inventors had to understand the science behind flight. Ready to be an inventor, too? Try making some paper airplanes to learn more about flight!

Experiment 1: Aerodynamics

First, try holding one of your hands in front of your body with the palm facing sideways, like you’re reaching out to shake someone’s hand. Swing your hand back and forth – notice the amount of air pushing against your hand?

Now, turn your hand so your hand is horizontal and parallel to the floor, and swing it back and forth like you’re slicing through the air. You should still be able to feel the air, but now your hand moves through the air with less resistance. This helps illustrate why planes have smooth shapes that cut through the air easily, not blocky shapes that take more effort to fly through the air smoothly.

Experiment 2: Different kinds of airplanes

There are many different kinds of paper airplanes that all have different designs and features, and they all fly differently as a result. Try making some of these different designs and comparing them – which planes fly the farthest? Which ones stay in the air the longest? Which ones are the fastest? Once you master these designs, try customizing your planes with new features like different wing angles, expanded wings, paperclip weights on the nose of the plane and more!

The Basic Dart: https://www.foldnfly.com/1.html

The Hurricane Flying Wing: https://paperairplaneshq.com/hurricane.html

The Tube: https://www.instructables.com/id/The-Incredible-Flying-Paper-Tube/

The Nighthawk Glider: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DG2H2-d-jQ