Take off!

Paper Aeroplanes

Research

Investigate

Design

Make

Evaluate

What is involved in design and making a

Take off! Paper aeroplane?

Materials and resources● A4 paper

● A4 light weight paper

● Pencil

● Glue stick

● Ruler

● Scissors

● Paper clips

● Sticky tape

● Bluetack

Making techniques Folding paper

Creasing paper

Cutting paper

Paper aeroplane 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veyZNyurlwU

Paper aeroplane 2https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXbFlFKUt8Y

Activity One - Investigation

Follow the video guides to help you make paper aeroplane 1 and paper airplane 2.

At this stage, I’d suggest using plain paper for theses models and pay particular attention to neatly flattening the fold lines down.

Investigation activities

Try flying the aeroplanes - How long do they fly for, do they fly straight, do they nose dive or do they fly upwards and then stall?

Consider the following modifications;

Trim any excess paper from folds or flaps

Glue folds or joins using the Pritt stick glue

If the paper airplane flies upwards or downwards weight may need to be added to the front or rear. Paper clips or a small amount of Bluetack can be used.

Year 7 Design and Technology - Take off!

Activity One - Adapt, modify or even remake, with refinements, each aeroplane.

Repeat the testing of each aeroplane and record the results for the modified plane.

You are able to apply any modification or refinement you wish to consider. Add weight, reduce weight, make from light card, glue joins together,

bias weight towards the front/back………………………….

● Duration of flight

● Straightness of flight

Present your findings with photographs and any additional observations you may have.

Activity Two

Produce a report to show the performance of your

initial aeroplanes 1 and airplane 2.

Add to the report the effect of the modifications you

have made.

Conclusions - Suggest why the original and modified

aeroplanes performed the way they have.

Flight investigation report

Thought for improvements

To make any of the planes fly better and longer you need to make the centre of lift and the centre of gravity at the same location

(if not already). This makes the plane stable.

You can do this by using blue tack or paper clips to adjust the weight and the centre of mass. Keep testing until there is

performance enhancements. If done accurately it will fly better. Another thing which can be changed. Instead of having the wings

at a 90 degree angle to the fuselage bend them up a bit to an approximate 120 degree angle. Make sure both wings are at same

or very similar angles. This will make it so the lif is no going directly up but at an angle towards the centre giving the plane more

stability in flight.

Plane Original Time Modified Time Original Straightness Modified

Straightness

1 6.40 seconds 7.01 seconds Not very straight

In flight

Pretty straight

In flight

2 9.73 seconds 11.27 seconds Pretty perfect straightness

In flight

Perfectly straight

In flight

3 1.64 seconds 1.73 seconds Very bent flight Still pretty bent flight

4 7.17 seconds 7.91 seconds Pretty straight flight Near perfect straightness in

flight

5 9.15 seconds 10.07 seconds Very straight in flight Perfectly straight in flight

Effectiveness of improvements

Today I have tested my best airplane and considered the effectiveness of the adaptations and modifications.

Plane Duration of flight Straightness Extra information

My plane 10.42 Very straight The improved plane flew for a great distance.

It is not very clear on the photos but there is a curve in the wing to add stability.

Conclusion and findingsThe reason this plane was better than the other designs is because it had curved wings, curved edges for straightness and a big wingspan to fly longer. This plane has a good shape as well so there is not much drag therefore it can also be thrown harder with more velocity. Weight was not needed to be added for this plane as I folded it with centre of mass and centre of lift in mind.

Design and Technology