THE BEST PAPER AIRPLANE YOU CAN MAKE
Every school year, in the farthest back row in classrooms across our land, thousands of paper airplane designs are tested and launched, tested and launched, over and over again. this research is on-going everyday.
Under these circumstances, to claim to have the very best design of all is obviously a big claim. But we think we can back it up.
Over the past 30 years, two major paper airplane contests have been held in this country. These two contests drew thousands of entries from all over the world, including a large number from aeronautical engineers, who presumably knew what they were doing. Both contests published their winners, which we have taken the liberty to categorize.
1) POINTY NOSE DESIGNS.
This is what everyone thinks of when they think of paper airplanes-the pointy nose "dart" kind of plane. It's a good design type. If a dart plane is properly made, it will go quite a ways. But they glide poorly; to get any distance, you really have to heave them. And since anything will "fly" of you throw it hard enough (toasters, for example), we kept looking.
2) ODDBALL DESIGNS.
This second category contains all the miscellaneously strange designs, like flying rings, helicopters, etc. Interesting, but usually difficult to make and subject to frequent failure. Plus, they lack "airplane appearance". As a result, we passed on these as well.
3) BLUNT NOSE GLIDERS.
Finally, the winning category. These are the very best, classroom quality, practical designs. These designs are tossed, not heaved like the darts. Plus, they float and fly in circles and long arcs. Much more interesting and much more "airplanelike."
After setting on the best category we sifted through all the winning "blunt nose" gliders to find the one that performed the best for us. After much balcony research, we found the winner. It is folded out plain paper. Its folds are simple and it flies like a dream. All in all, it is, by our own admission, The Best Paper Airplane You Can Make. Herewith, then, are our instructions:
Tips to fly:
Launch with a firm, straight ahead throw. Naturally, if you can gain some elevation (if nothing else, stand up on you chair), you will experience far more success. If your plane circles hard, fool with the tabs on the wings until it flies the way you want.
Under these circumstances, to claim to have the very best design of all is obviously a big claim. But we think we can back it up.
Over the past 30 years, two major paper airplane contests have been held in this country. These two contests drew thousands of entries from all over the world, including a large number from aeronautical engineers, who presumably knew what they were doing. Both contests published their winners, which we have taken the liberty to categorize.
1) POINTY NOSE DESIGNS.
This is what everyone thinks of when they think of paper airplanes-the pointy nose "dart" kind of plane. It's a good design type. If a dart plane is properly made, it will go quite a ways. But they glide poorly; to get any distance, you really have to heave them. And since anything will "fly" of you throw it hard enough (toasters, for example), we kept looking.
2) ODDBALL DESIGNS.
This second category contains all the miscellaneously strange designs, like flying rings, helicopters, etc. Interesting, but usually difficult to make and subject to frequent failure. Plus, they lack "airplane appearance". As a result, we passed on these as well.
3) BLUNT NOSE GLIDERS.
Finally, the winning category. These are the very best, classroom quality, practical designs. These designs are tossed, not heaved like the darts. Plus, they float and fly in circles and long arcs. Much more interesting and much more "airplanelike."
After setting on the best category we sifted through all the winning "blunt nose" gliders to find the one that performed the best for us. After much balcony research, we found the winner. It is folded out plain paper. Its folds are simple and it flies like a dream. All in all, it is, by our own admission, The Best Paper Airplane You Can Make. Herewith, then, are our instructions:
Tips to fly:
Launch with a firm, straight ahead throw. Naturally, if you can gain some elevation (if nothing else, stand up on you chair), you will experience far more success. If your plane circles hard, fool with the tabs on the wings until it flies the way you want.