Improve the range of your paper airplanes by adding an elastic band airplane launcher.
Build your own elastic-powered bird plane with a few stationery supplies. You can experiment with different ways to fold the paper airplane to see which plane flies farthest and which plane glides the best. The addition of the rubber band to the traditional paper plane design makes the planes travel much farther. This is a fun activity for children of all ages and only takes a few minutes to make. It's a great way to learn about potential energy and aerodynamics too.
Instructions
1. Place the sheet of paper on a flat working surface in front of you. The two short sides should be facing toward and away from you, while the long sides are on your left and right. Fold the piece of paper in half lengthwise and run your fingernail along the fold. Be precise with your folds.
2. Open the paper again. Fold the top, right corner inward until it sits flush against the center fold you just made. The corner should form a triangle. Fold the corner, rubbing your fingernail along the fold. Repeat for the top left hand corner. The side farthest from you is now pointed.
3. Fold the new top, right corner in toward the middle until it is flush with the center fold. The whole edge must be perfectly aligned with the center fold. Fold the corner down and repeat with the top, left corner.
4. Turn you paper airplane over. Fold the right hand top corner (which is just above the bottom, right corner by now) over until it and the whole edge are aligned with the center fold. Repeat for the other side.
5. Pick the paper airplane up and fold both sides down along the center fold. Release the sides. You should have a complete plane with two wings and a fuselage.
6. Draw a bird on your plane. Eagles, hawks and sparrows work well, but you can turn your plane into any bird. Draw two eyes on either side of the fuselage near the front tip. Make a beak out of the front tip. Draw feathers on the wings and a tail on the back of the plane.
7. Tape the fusible about 5 inches from the nose. Cut two or three strips of tape and place them over each other for added strength. Cut a 1/2 inch notch in the center of the tape, angled toward the back of the plane.
8. Hold the back of the plane fuselage in your non-dominant hand. Hook the elastic into the notch with the other hand. Pull the elastic towards the nose of the plane and pull the plane back. Release the plane and watch your bird fly.
Related posts
Once you know the basics, you can build fancier hand planes.Before the age of power tools, hand planes were used almost exclusively for shaping wood. Jointing, smoothing, rabbeting, and even routi...
Birdhouses provide shelter from predators.Birdhouses provide a convenient shelter during the months of spring and summer for a variety of species of birds and gives them a safe place to live and l...
Playful and whimsical stuffies, or small handmade stuffed toys, are becoming a trendy item to decorate the home and add personality to the office. Birds of all sorts are an excellent choice for a...
Artists have freedom to depict the mythical roc in various ways.The roc is a giant bird that first appeared in Arabian and Indian myths. The ancient Indian epic "Mahabharata" describes t...
Feathered maskKids love wearing bird masks for Halloween, at a costume party or just for play. If a special kid in your life wants a bird mask, instead of buying one, you can make a mask that is t...
