Free paper airplanes, paper helicopters and gliders, LEARN TO FLY...

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science fair project ideas - Loads of people ask me about science fair projects so here is a site with ideas.

Dear Alex,

Hey Alex,

My name is Jeff Nelson and I am in the eigth grade. I am currently doing my Science Project and I was pulled toward aerodynamics and paper airplanes.

My project is testing 5 different plane's airtimes and their distances. I am working with a partner and together we built a paper airplane launcher. Some of our planes are flying 17 meters with air times as large as 6 seconds.

A requirement for our project is that we must have an interview with an expert. Several of our airplane ideas came from your fabulous site. After seeing your site, and your knowledge when it comes to paper airplanes, I would consider you an expert. I am sending you this e-mail to learn more about paper airplanes. My partner came up with these several questions:

1.) What three charateristics of paper airplanes do you think are most important when it comes to constructing a sucsessful plane?

2.) What characteristics of a paper airplane will have the largest affect on the planes air-time?

3.) What characteristics of a paper airplane will have the largest affect on the planes distance?

4.) How does the neutral point, as well as the center of gravity on each plane, affect its flight distance and air-time?

Please try to answer these questions in good detail. My project is due Wed. March 10, 2004 so please try and get back to me A.S.A.P. Thank you for all of you help.

1.) What three charateristics of paper airplanes do you think are most important when it comes to constructing a sucsessful plane?

Firstly I think having weight in the nose of the plane is an excellent idea. This is important to keep the nose of the plane ever so slightly pointed downwards. This allows you to acheive a controlled loss of height when coupled to the second most important characteristic the fuselage. The central "fuselage", by which you normally hold a plane to throw it, is very important to guide the plane through the air in a stable flight pattern and controlled direction (it can be trimmed to fly in a curve rather than a straight line). Finally I think adapting the plane for lift is a key feature of some (but not all paper airplanes) this involves forming a wing cross section similar to that in a plane to achieve a bound vortex.

2.) What characteristics of a paper airplane will have the largest affect on the planes air-time?

The weight at the front of the plane is very important. Too much and the plane with nose dive, too little and it will fall in an uncontrolled fashion.

The lift is also important. Excess lift will cause it to stall, too little and again it will nose dive.

Method of throwing coupled to design of the plane is also important. The best planes for duration are those designed to be thrown straight up in the air and then right themselves and glide down from that height.

Finally a crucial factor is to trim the plane to fly in a wide circle rather than a straight line flying into walls.

3.) What characteristics of a paper airplane will have the largest affect on the planes distance?

How it is thrown is the most important factor.

4.) How does the neutral point, as well as the center of gravity on each plane, affect its flight distance and air-time?

I think this is explained above by the fact the nose has to be slightly pointing down but not overly pointing down.

Dear Alex,

I am 5 years old and I really like your airplane. My mom and I made Nick's plane. It flys all the way across our living room. My family lives near Raleigh, NC in the USA.

I am a fourth grade teacher in Cabarrus Co. North Carolina. My coworker and I have been preparing our students to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers first flight on Dec. 17th. As part of our unit of study, we are asking the students to design a paper airplane. Then, we will have a contest to see which airplane will fly the farthest. We plan to use your web page to help the students design and create their own planes. Thank you for inspiring our students with your ideas and creations.

Very glad that you enjoyed the site, I am also glad it inspired your students. Thank you for your kind words. Have a great celebration.

As part of our celebration at work of the 100th anniversary of Orville and Wilbur Wright's first powered flight (December 17), we had a paper airplane flying contest. We had to produce our own paper airplanes and the object was to fly the craft into a windsock placed about 20 feet (6 or 7 meters?) down the hallway. We had three attempts at it. My plane was the ONLY one of about thirty entries which achieved that goal. I folded a Dmitri's plane out of Christmas gift wrap, so it was also the best looking plane!

Thanks so much for keeping up a great site.

Thank you so much for telling me. I am glad that you enjoyed the site and that Dmitri's plane was such a winner for you!

science fair project ideas - Loads of people ask me about science fair projects so here is a site with ideas.

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