PAPER PLANE DEPOT

HOW TO MAKE PAPER AIRPLANES

  • INSTRUCTIONS
    • ALL DESIGNS
    • DARTS
    • GLIDERS
    • CANARDS
  • PILOT’S MANUAL
    • TIPS
    • TROUBLE-SHOOTING
    • FACTS ABOUT PAPER PLANES

TROUBLE-SHOOTING

How to make your paper airplane fly better.  Trouble-shooting and problem solving tips to improve your paper airplane flight via http://PaperPlaneDepot.com

Think of your first flight with a new plane as a test flight. Most times, you’ll need to make an adjustment to help the plane fly better. That’s perfectly normal. After all, real planes are tested over and over and over again before the designers and engineers are satisfied they’re ready!

When you do make an adjustment make them very gently – because your paper airplane is small, even the tiniest adjustment can make a huge difference.

Symmetry

SONY DSC

The first thing to check is whether your plane is symmetrical. Each side needs to match the other. Check to see if your wings line up and any bends are the same on the left and right.

Stalling

problem - pitch (Line big)

If your plane goes sharply up then stops and drops, try bending the back edges of the wings slightly downwards (both sides). Make the bend close to the body of the plane rather than the tips of the wings – it’s easier to keep the bends on each side more even that way. This is called a ‘down elevator’.

Otherwise, try adding a bit of weight to the front – a paperclip on the nose can work a treat.

Nosediving

problem - nosedive (line big)

If your plane nosedives to the floor, bend the back edges of the wings slightly upwards. Make the bend close to the body of the plane rather than the tips of the wings – it’s easier to keep the bends on each side more even that way. This is called an ‘up elevator’.

If you have added weight on the nose (e.g. a paperclip) remove it.

Yawing

problem - yawing (line big)

If your plane files to the left or right instead of straight, bend the trailing edge (the back end of the body of the plane) slightly in the opposite direction. This acts as a ‘rudder’.

For example if your plane is flying left, bend the trailing edge slightly to the right.

Short flight

problem - short glide (line)

If your plane doesn’t go as far as you’d expected, you may need to redesign the wings (to make them larger), smooth down any elements that may have increased the drag on the plane (like flaps) or remove excess weight (take off any tape or paperclips you’ve added).

Rolling

problem - roll (line big)

If the plane rolls or corkscrews the easiest fix would be to call it a stunt plane and keep on flying it! Otherwise, check to see if the wings are dihedral (angled slightly up) and the plane is symmetrical.

GOOD TO KNOW

ABOUT

PRIVACY + COOKIES POLICY

FIND STUFF

© Copyright 2019 Paper Plane Depot · All Rights Reserved ·

ADVERTISING

Hi there. This site uses cookies to analyse and improve visitor interactions and experience with our site and ads as well as for security purposes.   √ OK with me   Reject   Read More
COOKIE CONSENT

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT