Late Night Experiments

I recorded a video for this plane and it turned out good looking but I didn't like the way it flew. I want to try it again but with smaller wings and a different nose design. I folded the nose under on this one instead of into the plane and I think that caused some flight issues because this plane has a very un-predictable flight pattern. One of my favorite things about paper airplanes is that you can throw them, see a problem, and then change something. Well this plane just didn't have much control.

This plane glides well but only if you throw it soft. I would like to develop this one more in the future. The funny thing about it is that it did not fly well until I added the vertical tail fins. I really think this design could be refined into a good plane.

This plane flies extremely well. I was very surprised with its performance. I folded parts that I ripped inward to make an air tunnel type thing on the wings and this plane will glide forever. I cannot wait to get to a larger space to see how far it will fly. This is something I am definitely going to develop further and make some videos for.

Speeder #2

Speeder #2 came about from experiments with the main tail for speeders. I built one with a similar tail that you can see HERE. That plane did not fly well and had too much weight in the back causing it to do nothing but flips. I tried adding flaps but nothing helped, so I figured all it needed was slightly larger wings and more weight in the front. This plane still has a lot of lift and the nose design can be refined but I like the way it flies. This is a good plane to fly around a room. The song in the video is a remix of "Falling Far" by Nite Jewel.

Music by Sumsun (2009)

Glider #2

Glider #2 this is a more complicated variation on the glider. This plane needs a lot of room to fly which is the reason I gave it a squared off nose. This prevents ware and tear that happens to pointy noses when they hit walls. I have gotten this one to fly for about 40 feet and I am sure it could go further. The tail design is my favorite part about this plane but the side flaps are really cool because you can control it's direction easily. I got this plane to fly around a room and back to me every time by adjusting the flaps. The smaller tail and the double flaps on the edges of the wings make this plane curve and turn easily but it still stays upright if thrown correctly. This plane needs to be thrown somewhat hard; it does not fly well if you throw it softly. If you throw this plane too hard it flips over and crashes. Overall I think this is a good plane but I have some ideas to improve it in the future. It is really fun to throw it around the room and catch it like a boomerang.

Music by Sumsun (2008)

Speeder #1

Speeder #1 is a variation on a plane I have been making since I was really really young. The main thing I like about this version is that it does not flip over and the bottom stays on the bottom. The tail can be modified in many different ways by folding the two outer flaps or even making the main inner flap into an oval. Also folding the wings differently so they are wider gives it a smaller tail and flight that is more similar to a glider. The version in the video flies very well but if you throw it too hard it darts super fast for a short flight. Throwing this one a little bit more gently still gives the plane a lot of speed but it also can have good hang time. If you need more lift you can simply curl up the triangles on the back of the wings instead of making flaps which gives you more control over how steep it will climb when you throw it. Sorry the video does not demonstrate how to make this one very well, but I will be doing lots of variations on this plane in the future.

Music by Sumsun (2010)

Glider #1

Glider #1 is a simple variation on my glider series. These planes fly well in large rooms if you throw them hard or soft. I add flaps on the back of the wings to compensate for the heaviness of the nose of the plane. These flaps need adjusting depending on how you fold it, in this video they are a little steep, usually you only need small flaps to keep the plane in flight. I ended up making them more flush with the wings after its first flight and they really work well. The tail I add to this series helps keep the plane upright, without it they tend to flip over like many other paper airplane designs. If you fold it so the bottom (the part you hold onto when throwing the plane) is larger you can get a larger tale which effects the way these fly greatly. I will demonstrate variations on the tale design in later videos. The plane in the video performed well, I got some very long flights with it. The harder you throw it the straighter it flies but if you throw it softer these planes can get some serious hang time staying in the air longer than any other plane I know how to build.

Music by Sumsun (2010)