Easy Paper Airplanes - Cool Facts

Easy Paper Airplanes

From our friends at Netitall.co.uK and www.paperaircraft.org

Here are some amazing facts about paper aircraft brought to you by Andy Chipling.

Professionals Use Them
For a long time Paper Aircraft have been very seriously used by large Aerospace Aircraft manufacturers, for scientific and theory testing of aircraft behaviour.

World Record - Old UK Time Aloft
The longest UK (ex-World Record) duration of a flight by a paper aircraft, indoors, is 20.9 seconds. This was achieved by Chris Edge of British Aerospace Defence LTD, and Andy Currey from the Defence Evaluation Research Agency. By an amazing coincidence they both recorded exactly the same time and on consecutive throws. "The Guinness Book of Records" allowed two World Record holders, because this record is about the times set at the same event, so it’s similar to setting identical pole position times in formula one. This record was established on 28th July 1996 at Cardington Airship Hangars in Bedfordshire, England.

World Record - New Time Aloft
The longest duration of a flight by a paper aircraft, indoors, is 27.6 seconds. This was achieved by Ken Blackburn in the USA. Ken is one of the superstars of the paper aircraft world today and keeps all of us, all over the World, working hard to match his skills. He is also very much a gentleman and has been surpassed once by Chris Edge and Andy Currey from England, only to smash the 20.9 seconds set by Chris and Andy with a world topping 27.6 seconds. This time is going to take some beating. The very best of luck to all who try.

World Record - Distance
The longest distance flown by a paper aircraft launched indoors, from the ground, is 193ft (58.82m) This was achieved by Tony Fletch of Wisconsin, USA at the La Crosse Centre on 21st May 1985 and is a world record. The distance flown is almost equal to the length of a Jumbo Jet, and much further than the first flight by one of the Wright brothers.

NASA Helps Students
NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) in the Langley Research Centre Hangar used ex-astronauts and engineers to help pupils from various schools in Hampton, Virginia, USA to develop, build and fly a record breaking large paper aircraft, with a wing span of 30ft 6in (9.15m) on 25th March 1992. If you think that’s large see the current World Record for the Largest wingspan.

World Record - Largest Wingspan
The paper aircraft with the largest wingspan, 40ft 10in (1.97m), was made by a team of students from the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. It was flown indoors on 16th May 1995. Launched indoors by one person, it flew a distance of 114ft 2in (34.80m) from a 10ft (3m) high platform. In order to comply with the rules, it only had to fly more than 50ft (15.24m) from the edge of the launch platform. This aircraft would have covered a greater distance, but for a wall which stopped it in mid flight, causing extensive damage to the nose section, and still smashing the world record in the process.

Most Expensive - One of NASA's
One of the most expensive and lightest paper aircraft ever flown, was the paper aircraft thrown inside one of NASA’s space shuttles, during a routine space flight. The fuel alone used to carry it into space makes that paper aircraft one of the most expensive. It was the lightest because of the lack of gravity in space.

Fly on Forever
In space where there is no atmosphere, if a paper aircraft were thrown, it would not fly at all; it would float away in a straight line. With no gravity to pull it down, it would possibly fly on forever until it hit an object... like an alien, who would love to throw it back again.

Fly Up not Down
Paper aircraft that are trimmed to fly on earth will, when thrown inside a spacecraft, fly up and not down, as would normally be expected. This is because there is no gravity in the spacecraft, but there is lift created by the wings, as they fly in the atmosphere inside the spacecraft.

The Smallest - Origami
The smallest origami paper model of a Crane Bird was folded under a microscope using tweezers by a Mr Naito from Japan and was made from a piece of paper 2.9mm square. It is displayed on top of a sewing needle. Now that’s small - what a pity it didn’t fly! If Mr Naito were to make small paper aircraft, how would he see them fly?

Easy Paper Airplanes