What makes a paper airplane fly well?  Test your paper plane to understand drag force.

A simple paper could possibly bring a whole lot of entertainment and learning for us to have.   Everything you need to learn will be how to fold a paper airplane, and you’ll be able to make a simple airplane quickly! However, in order to make a good paper aircraft, which concept should you utilize? Students will alter the fundamental construction of a paper airplane in this aerodynamic research study to observe how it impacts its flying. You’ll specifically increase the amount of drag the plane encounters to determine whether it affects how much more the paper airplane is flying. This project contains a lot of great stuff, such as how external factors cause an aircraft to fly, So pull up your sleeves and be prepared to make something extraordinary!

Procedure:

Discussion: Aeronautics, Aeromodelling, Aerodynamics, Fluid dynamics

Level: 

Easy

Duration:

Lesser than a day

Materials Required:

  • Paper 
  • Pencil
  • Masking tape
  • Glue
  • Thin string
  • & some stationery as per your need

Goal:

Please find out how to increase the drag in a paper airplane by changing its shape reduces the whole performance of a paper airplane.

What is a paper airplane?

Paper airplanes are simple to build and also have a fantastic time. With a twitch of our hands, you can fold a sheet of paper into such a simple aircraft as well as launch them into the airstream. It offers you quite a fulfilling & cheerful experience to witness it soar and float through the air.

Meanwhile, it permits paper airplanes to fly in the sky? What makes it stop after a while without you tracing anything visibly? To know in detail, we’ll discuss the science behind paper planes as well as the various factors that cause their flight and rest. Real airplanes are subject to the same forces. Something else that drives or drags on your paper airplane, is referred to as a force or driving energy.

Usually, while you launch a paper airplane into the wind, you’re providing energy to take the flight – This force is referred to as THRUST.  Air moves above and below the aircraft’s wings as it moves forward, producing lift. The airplane will have a lovely flight if the thrust is sufficient and the wings are suitably constructed.  However, a paper plane’s return to Earth is due to a lack of forwarding propulsion and bad wing design. The air pulls against a paper plane as it travels through the air, causing it to reduce its own velocity – This force is called DRAG.  

To understand drag, let us assume you are in a moving vehicle with one of your hands outside the window. In this condition, your hand will experience a pressure that forces your hand back as you go forward, called DRAG. Ultimately, the mass of your paper plane impacts its flight and pulls it over to rest.  Whereas gravity is something that acts on the paper plane which is inevitable inside our atmosphere.

aerodynamic forces of airplane

Fig. Four forces of Aerodynamics, which is occurred in an aircraft when it flies in the air.

Vocabulary:

  • Thrust
  • Lift
  • Drag
  • Weight
  • Aircraft

How to conduct this game?

  • Make this Paper airplane called a Paper airplane that flies far and straight from Liftndrift – This site has two other planes Nakamura paper airplane, and an Eagle paper airplane.
  • You need to have two or more paper airplanes ready with you to make the game easy and fun.
Distance in Metres
TrialFlight 1Flight 2Flight 3Flight 4Flight 5Cumulative
Plane 1
Plane 2
Plane 3
  • Find a space for flying your paper airplane this will allow your paper airplane to fly freely and gives you an opportunity to analyze your paper airplane flying pattern.  School playgrounds, Volleyball courts, auditoriums, and Amphitheatres are some of the best spots you can think of.
  • Face the area where you gonna fly your plane and stand at your starting point, Make a mark on the ground – a horizontal line from the left to right – that makes the launching line of your paper aircraft
  • Run some trial flights before proceeding to the actual launch and ensure to hold the paper airplane at the same spot and try the same kinda throws.
  • Once you’re done practicing, Now it’s your time for an Actual flight throw.  Step on your starting line and start throwing toward your goal – Measure your paper airplane’s distance using your measuring tape and update the chart given above (download and take a printout).
  • Download it here – Paper airplane worksheet
  • Repeat flying the paper plane 7-8 times and repeat the trials with other planes too
  • Note it down in your sheet and find the average – So you can easily find out the maximum range.

Also, Read

Aircraft fly zone for kids

Wright Brothers and their First Flight – A Throwback!

How to improve your paper airplane flight – Fold, test & Enhance your Flight’s ability!

You can also search for

How to make a paper airplane

Boomerang paper airplane

How to make a paper airplane that flies far

Eagle paper airplane

Best paper airplane for distance

Paper airplane designs for distance and speed and accuracy

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