Paper-clip pilot
Transforming a piece of paper into a flying machine feels amazing. But, your plane may crash or stall before it makes any significant progress.
Knowing how to make a basic paper airplane doesn’t guarantee that the plane will fly, but by understanding the plane’s gravity and lift, you can make any plane fly better. You could make adjustments by making the wings even, elevated, or bent to compensate for errant flight patterns. You could add a paper clip to correct the part of the plane that dips first when in flight.
INTRODUCTION
You will learn about how the design of a paper plane can relate to the design of a real plane. The shape and accuracy of the paper plane is important, but the distribution of weight from the paperclip is just as important for a good flight. You should start off with a sheet of A4 paper, make a paper plane, and throw it! Observe what happens and then start to experiment with extra folds and paperclips.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
Some sheets of A4 paper and a handful of paperclips (four will be plenty)
QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT:
As the plane is in flight, try and spot the way it moves, if it twists a little to one side or dips at the front, is there something you can do to change this? Would an extra fold in a wing or addition of a paperclip help?
ACTIVITY REFLECTION
What went well? What didn’t go so well? What would you do differently next time?
We’d love to see the outcome of your design – send pictures to outreach@tedi-london.ac.uk