This paper airplane launcher It is very easy to build and a great simple alternative to a more complex aircraft launcher. Paper airplanes are one of those activities that almost everyone has tried at least once and are usually launched by hand. How well the plane flies depends on the design of the paper plane and the amount of energy used by the person launching it.
Paper Planes It seems simple, but there is a lot of engineering and science involved in making one fly well.
What forces act on a paper airplane?
After a paper airplane is launched, four forces begin to act on it.
Gravity shoot down the plane.
Push of the person launching the plane pushes it forward.
Drag It is the air pushing back into the plane.
Raise It is created when the air under the wing pushes up with more force than the air above pushes down. The forward motion of a glider (a paper airplane is an example) is due to loss of altitude.
For a paper airplane to fly, the combination of lift and thrust must be greater than gravity and drag.
Paper airplane scientific research
You will need to
Elastic band
Stapler
Paper
Card/Cardboard
Instructions for a paper airplane launcher.
Follow the instructions in the video or follow the photos.
Build a basic paper airplane and then build the launcher by folding a sheet of A4 card in half and then in half again.
Staple the elastic band slightly off-center to the center of the launcher.
Fold the paper and pull the elastic band toward the opposite end of the folded card.
Place the plane inside the launcher with the nose end where the clip is.
To launch the plane, hold the launcher in the air with the plane facing forward and quickly lift the two ends of the card at the tail end.
The plane should shoot forward.
Video instructions for the paper airplane launcher
Paper Airplane Research Ideas
Calculate the average distance the paper airplane travels.
Experiment with different sizes and shapes of paper airplanes.
Compare how well the paper airplane launcher works with different thicknesses of rubber bands.
Find out what happens if the nose of the plane becomes heavier.
Summary
When a paper airplane is thrown upward, it gains kinetic energy from the person throwing it. The kinetic energy is converted to potential energy and then the plane glides, propelled by gravity as it falls. Some energy is lost air resistance.
When our launcher is used, energy is stored in the stretched elastic band, which is transferred to the plane.
If the plane is moving quickly, its wings direct the air downward, generating an equal upward force (lift). A paper airplane launcher works well because it gives the plane a lot of speed and therefore raise to keep it in the air.
Scientific concepts
Engineering
- Physical
- Raise
- Drag
- Push
- air resistance
- Potential energy
- Kinetic energy
Last updated on April 24, 2024 by Emma Vanstone
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