Paper Airplane
Experiments
KEN BLACKBURN
NCASE
Atlanta, GA March 2004
Presentation Overview

Uses of paper airplane experiments

Types of experiments

Examples
– Ball vs. airplane
– Wind tunnel
– Glide tests
Uses for Experiments

Classroom
– Visually explain principles of flight
– Addresses many requires standards
National, State
 Scientific Inquiry, motion & forces, properties &
measurement

Science Fair Projects
 Youth group (scouting…) activities
 Team Building
 Fun!!!!!

Types of Experiments

Lift
– Glide test – paper airplane vs. the paper ball
– Wind tunnel – effect of wing area, airspeed, and wing angle

Drag
– Drop test – paper parachute vs. paper ball
– Effect of wingspan on drag
– Glide tests to compare drag of different paper airplane
designs

Stability
– Effect of paper clip location on flight stability
Glide Test – Airplane vs. Ball

Principle demonstrated: Lift (force, test)

Procedure
– Take 2 sheets of paper – make a paper plane and a
paper ball
– Give them a gentile toss straight forward, one in the
right hand, one in the left

Results
– The ball hits the ground first. Why? The paper airplane
has wings which create lift to slow its fall to the
ground.
Wind Tunnel – Air Flow

Principle demonstrated: Conservation of mass, pressure

Procedure: Construct wing tunnel, Use incense to show air
flow into, through, and out of tunnel

Results: How does the wind tunnel work? Where does the
air flow fastest, at the narrow or wide end of the tunnel?
Wind Tunnel Construction

Materials: 20” square box fan (Wal-Mart), four 22”x28”
poster boards, two 36”x1/4” dowel rods, duct tape

Procedure: Cut out poster board sides, duct tape together,
cut dowel rods into 14” lengths and tape around entrance,
curl 2” narrow ends and tape for smooth airflow.

Balance: Wood yardstick and 2”x2” wood frame can make
see-saw balance with letter scale.

Air flow can be measured with Radio Shack pocket wind
gauge (I measured 10 mph).
Wind Tunnel – Lift

Principle demonstrated: Lift (force, test, measurement)

Hypothesis: Lift increases as a wing is angled nose up

Procedure: Measure vertical force – measure with wings set nose up at
0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 degrees

Results: Lift increases with angle of wing
25
Lift - grams
20
Measured
15
10
Theory
5
0
-5 0
5
10
15
20
-10
Wing Angle - Deg
25
30
35
Distance/Height
Glide Test – Elevator

Principle demonstrated: Drag (force, test, measurement)

Hypothesis: The best glide distance is achieved with a particular
elevator setting that sets the best glide wing angle

Procedure: Measure glide distance (angle) for increasing elevator
settings

Results: Maximum glide distance is achieved at a particular elevator
setting, reduced distance for less elevator angle, constant to reduced
glide distance for more elevator angle
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
Increasing Elevator Setting
0.6
Glide Test – Span

Principle demonstrated: Drag (force, test, measurement)

Hypothesis: Drag decreases and glide distance increases with increasing
wing span

Procedure: Measure steady glide distance. Make 3 or more paper
airplanes of the same design, each with the wings folded out to a
different span. Adjust elevator of each for best glide distance. Plot glide
distance divided by initial height for each.

Results: Longer wingspan results in greater glide distance, therefore has
reduced drag compared to shorter span.
Glide Angle length/height
7
6
5
4
3
Theory
Experiment
2
1
SPAN 2”
0
0
2
4
6
Span - in
8
10
4”
6”
8”
Internet Resources:

My educational information
http://paperplane.org/resource.html

Smithsonian Air & Space Museum
http://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/gal109/gal109.html

NASA GLENN Research Center
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/Doc/educatn.htm