DIAMOND PAPER PLANE Title names graphic
RYAN EIFFERT SAMUEL HOWARD
INTRODUCTION: Making a paper airplane is a process for creating flight surfaces from a piece of paper. It can be done for fun, to illustrate the concepts behind flight, or for competition. Whatever your reason, this document will give you a brief summary about how the plane flies, how to fold the airplane, and how to launch it. The things you need for this design is a piece of 8.5x11� (printer paper), tape (to rebalance), and boundless enthusiasm (or just enough to finish reading). This is a modified Zip-Dart from www.foldnfly.com, with an added crease to make construction easier. Airplanes depend on controlling the balance of two sets of competing forces (a push or pull) to fly. As seen Figure 1 to the right, the labeled lines represent the different forces and which direction they push on the plane. Forces in opposite directions must overpower the other to make the plane accelerate, with the plane going faster the in direction of the larger force. So if you wanted to fly upwards from standing on the ground, you would have to flap your arms enough to create lift greater than your weight. Luckily, there are easier ways to experience flight. DISCLAIMER: Making paper airplanes is a generally safe task, but accidents can happen. To lower this risk, make sure to throw away from eyes or other delicate objects. The planes may be paper, but they have a point. Additionally, since the planes the made of paper, they have a limited lifespan. Performance may degrade after repeated launches.
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DRAG
LIFT
THRUST WEIGHT FIGURE 1 Below is information on the forces with relation to the airplane derived from CFINotebook: Thrust: pushes the plane forward • Caused by throwing the paper airplane • Ends after releasing throw for the paper airplane Drag: pulls the plane backward • Caused by friction and air pressure from lift • Increases with surface area and lift Lift: pushes the plane upward • Caused by air moving over wing from the thrust • Air is pulled down the back of the wing, pushing the plane up Weight: pulls the plane downward • Caused by the Earth (mostly) • The more the plane weighs, the more lift needed BEFORE YOU BEGIN! These first few folds are meant to crease the page to enable and guide further folds. Be sure to make all folds crisp and precise to ensure the plane flies as straight and far as possible. The only danger is the ever-present threat of a papercut.
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CRAFTING THE PLANE 1. 4.
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Fold the page in half lengthwise (hotdog style) and create a crisp crease. One way to do this is by running a fingernail over the crease. Next, open the page back up to its previous state. Then, fold the upper right hand corner down so that the top edge is flush with the left side. 3
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Open the sheet back to its unfolded state to start the next guiding crease. Repeat the previous fold with the top of the left corner flush with the right side instead. After making a firm crease, open the fold. You should now have an X with a verticle line running through it. 4
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Flip the page over so the creased portion is at the top facing down. Then, fold the creased portion in half so the diagonal creases overlap. Finally, flip the page over to how it began. Notice how the sides of the page are folded. If they are folded down, press the center point to get them to fold in. 5
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First, press down on the large section on the bottom with one hand. With the other, press forward and down on the top of the triangle formed. The paper should guide your folded. The newly folded parts should make a triangle with the rectangular section from the original page showing at the bottom. 6
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Fold the bottom right corner of the top triangle on the right to the middle. Finish the diamond by repeating the previous fold with the top left triangle.
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Now, you will create the wings, what give the plane its lift. Uneven lift will cause the plane to veer off while flying, so be extra careful. Fold the section underneath the diamond on the right so its edge is flush with the center fold. Repeat to create the left wing. 8
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Fold the sheet in half, with the various folds on the inside. Finish the right wing by folding the edge of the wing flush with the center fold. Repeat with the other wing.
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Congratulations on completing your plane! It’s nice to see you brought enough enthusiasm to get this far. Now, it’s time for the fun part: launching the airplane. To this, you need your completed plane, a hand, someplace with enough empty space to throw a plane, and tape (optional, mostly for adjusting balance). There is the danger of poking someone’s eye out, so be careful where you aim your weapon of ocular destruction. 10
LAUNCHING THE PLANE: 1) Grip the plane where the rearmost edge of the diamond meets the wing fold near the center of the plane with the thumb and forefinger. Pick a point somewhere in front of you, either at the same height or slightly above your hand. 2) Move your hand straight towards the chosen point. Make sure you don’t make an arc or you might accidentally throw the plane into the ground. Release the plane just before your arm reaches its full extension. 3) Watch your plane fly. After it lands, retrieve the plane. If the plane flew with the front up before falling down, apply tape to the nose. This will shift enough weight to prevent the pane from tilting the up and limiting the air that can flow over the wings to produce lift.
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GRIP POINT
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CONCLUSION Crafting paper airplanes provides a safe and cheap way to play with the concepts behind flight without the threat of expensive models crashing into your house and setting it on fire. The cheap models allow you to more easily tinker with the effects of drag, lift, and weight. You can make the crafting and launching process as scientific or relaxed as you want. As long as you enjoy yourself you’re doing it right.
WORKS CITED
Hall, Nancy. “Effect of Size on Drag.” NASA, NASA, 5 May 2015, www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/sized.html. Accessed 23 Feb. 2017. “Principles of Flight.” CFI Notebook, CFI Notebook, www.cfinotebook.net/notebook/aerodynamics-and- performance/principles-of-flight. Accessed 23 Feb. 2017. “Zip Dart.” Fold N Fly ✈ Zip Dart, www.foldnfly.com/23. html#Zip-Dart. Accessed 21 Feb. 2017.