What makes a paper plane fly better than a piece of paper?
When you fold a piece of paper into the shape of a plane, you're creating a design that harnesses four things - thrust, lift, drag, and gravity. When all four of those forces are balanced, you have flight.
The world record for a paper plane distance is 88m, set by a team of aerospace engineers in 2023. Can you beat their record with your own design?
Thrust
The push to get it going
Thrust is the forward movement of the plane. It comes from the throw as the paper plane is launched. Some plane designs require a powerful throw, whereas other designs need only a gentle release to glide.
Lift
The force that helps it rise
Lift is the force that pushes the plane up. A real plane has curved wings which means that air moving over the top is faster and has less pressure than the air underneath the wing, causing the plane to lift. A paper plane doesn’t experience as much lift but a large wing surface area and an angled throw could help maximise air time.
Drag
The air pushing back
Thrust is the forward movement of the plane. The initial thrust comes from the throw as the paper plane is launched. Some plane designs like the Dart requires a powerful throw whereas other designs need only a gentle release to glide.
Gravity
The pull towards the ground
Gravity is a force that pulls objects towards the Earth. When planes are made out of a lighter material, they weigh less and require less lift to overcome gravity.