Introducing the Lightning Eagle! This super easy to make paper airplane was designed by Kyle, a 7 year old boy. Not only does it look awesome, the balance of this paper airplane is incredible making it perfect for distance flying. You will never make another paper airplane design again!
This paper airplane adapts a classic dart design and offers an excellent glide while flying. Just watch the video. To maximize distance for this paper airplane, try a strong throw at a 30 to 45 degree angle and watch it soar through the sky then glide to a smooth landing.
For maximum air time and distance, make sure you follow all the instructions in this video and make precise folds. When you're certain all the steps were followed, you'll need to tune the paper airplane by creasing all of your folds, making sure the wings are tilted slightly upwards, and that the tail end is rolled slightly upwards. These are just my general suggestions. See my complete video on paper airplane tuning (coming soon...).
PAPER
80g A4 paper was used in the video. 8.5x11in paper will work as well.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
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FOLDING / FLYING TIPS
1. Align each fold precisely and follow instructions.
2. Use a smooth hard object to crease each fold (like your fingernails). Remember, you want the wings of your paper plan to be as flat as possible.
3. Do you know about dihedral angles? Instead of positioning the wings perpendicular (90 degrees) to the body of your paper plane, light it up slightly. This helps with stability.
4. Roll the tail of your wings slightly upwards and adjust accordingly. Remember, if you roll them too much, your paper plane will shoot upwards and will not fly well. Play around with this!
5. While not necessary, I always suggest using tape to hold your entire paper plane together. Try adding a little tape to the nose, wings, and other places where there are gaps. This will give you a more durable paper plane AND more consistency of flight.
DISTANCE
You'll fall in love with how far this paper plane can fly, it really soars like an eagle! We've tested it to fly over 50 meters (over 150 feet)! The test was conducted outdoors on a sunny day with a slight breeze.
TROUBLESHOOTING
1. The paper plane dives downwards. Like I said earlier, roll the end of the wings slightly upwards. Again, not too much or your paper airplane will rocket upwards.
2. Your paper airplane shoots upwards. You rolled the back end of of your paper plane wing upwards way too much. Flatten them out and see how your plane flies. Do lots of testing to see what is the best setting.
3. The paper plane flies curves. This is harder to fix but not impossible. Make sure your wings are evenly slanted upwards. Did you fold it precisely? If you're confident you did, try flattening and creasing all the folds again. Don't stop testing to find the best settings!
4. Frustrated because It still doesn't fly well? Unfortunately, making paper airplanes is an art. Any bumps or nicks on the paper itself may affect how your paper plane flies. If all else fails, try folding it again with a brand new, crispy piece of paper.
FINAL WORDS
Congratulations to Kyle for designing the Lightning Eagle, his first paper airplane design! Although there were not a lot of folds involved, sometimes the most simple paper airplane design is the best flying. The world record paper airplane by John Collins is just as simple and it holds a world record. Keep up the great work and keep exploring!
By the way, we've started filming many paper airplane challenges and contests I've created for the boys to help with bonding, STEAM, and to give them something enjoyable to do at home (other than staring at the TV, computer, or iPad). Ladies, gentlemen, boys and girls, stay tuned!
27 сен 2024
