The Airfield Top Secret Blueprints Coaching and Troubleshooting Aero M3 Math Connection Wind Tubes and Tunnels
Coaching and Troubleshooting
Unexpected flight paths can be part of the fun of folding and throwing a paper airplane, especially with siblings, friends, or classmates. However, it is difficult to enjoy several crashes in a row.
Take a look at the symmetry of the aircraft: the creases should be crisp, the wing surfaces match, and looking at the model nose-on or from the tail the wing angles match and the elevator, aileron, and rudder surfaces are set the way you want.
Did you watch closely what your plane did during your test flights?
Did it do the same thing each time?
The more you fly paper airplanes and the more closely you observe them, the more you’ll learn about throwing and adjusting.
Good throws start with a good grip. This is where all the thrust will come from to power the flight, so it is important.
It’s usually helpful to start out holding the plane where the bulk of the folded layers come together. That’s also usually close to the center of gravity—or CG among pilots and designers. But where, precisely, is the CG? If you really want to know, a few minutes of balancing the model with the fuselage resting between the thumb and index finger of your preferred hand (left-handed people tend to be genuises, by the way) and resting lightly on the tips of your finger and thumb.
- If the nose pitches down, move your grip forward
- If the nose pitches up, move your grip backward
When the model is balanced, take note of where your grip is and how it feels. That is the CG!
Try to start with a flat toss, straight out from shoulder height, releasing the model before your hand starts to travel downwards.
Then see what needs fixing. Something always needs fixing. Gently nurse the control surfaces (rudder, elevator, and ailerons) and experiment with thumb placement.
Thumbs are where students tend to make changes they are not aware of, especially if they get in a hurry to race against another plane. In paper airplane flying, the thumb usually provides the last point of contact, which is somewhat different from football and baseball, and without the symmetry of two hands in basketball.
Using the same model over multiple days will sometimes create different results. The moment you get it folded, the paper is trying to unfold. It might be drying out or soaking up moisture. It will change shape over time. To keep it flying right, you need to keep adjusting.