Explain the Concepts of Flying
Build and test several paper airplanes to explore lift, thrust, drag, and weight, record results, and improve designs through safe experiments.
Step-by-step guide to explore flight by building and testing paper airplanes
Aerodynamics | How airplanes fly? Science for Kids
Step 1
Find a clear flat space at least 5 meters long where you can safely fly paper airplanes.
Step 2
Gather all materials and put them on a table near your flying space.
Step 3
In your notebook draw a table with columns labeled Design Distance Flight Time Notes.
Step 4
Take one sheet of paper and fold it in half lengthwise then open it to make a center crease.
Step 5
Fold the top two corners down so their points meet at the center crease to make a triangle at the top.
Step 6
Fold the triangle point down so its tip touches the bottom edge of the paper.
Step 7
Fold each side down to create wings so the paper looks like a dart and crease the wings firmly.
Step 8
Make two more identical planes by repeating Steps 4 to 7 with two new sheets.
Step 9
Clip a paper clip to the nose of the first plane to increase its weight.
Step 10
Bend small upward winglets at the tips of the second plane to increase lift.
Step 11
Slightly bend the trailing edges of the third plane downward to add drag and stability.
Step 12
Mark a launch line and throw each plane from the same spot three times using the same gentle motion for every throw.
Step 13
Measure each flight distance with the ruler and time each flight with the stopwatch then record the numbers in your notebook table.
Step 14
Pick one change from your results then make that single change to your favorite plane and fly it once more and write the new result in the table.
Step 15
Share your paper airplane designs tests and what you learned by posting your finished creation on DIY.org
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use instead of a paper clip, ruler, or stopwatch if we don't have them?
Use a small binder clip or a folded strip of tape instead of the paper clip (step 9), a measuring tape or floor marks instead of the ruler for the measurement step, and your phone's timer app in place of the stopwatch while still recording results in your notebook table.
My plane keeps veering or nosediving — what should I check and fix?
Check that you made a precise center crease (step 4), creased the wings firmly (step 7) and made all three planes identically (step 8), then adjust or remove the paper clip weight (step 9) and fine-tune the winglets or trailing-edge bends (steps 10–11) before throwing from the same launch line with the same gentle motion.
How can I adapt this activity for different age groups?
For preschoolers have an adult pre-fold the planes and use taped floor marks and stride-counting to record distance, elementary kids can follow all steps using the ruler and stopwatch and fill the Design/Distance/Flight Time/Notes table in the notebook, and older kids can add more repeats, test different paper types or weights, and prepare a DIY.org post.
How can we extend or personalize the experiment to learn more or make it creative?
Decorate and label each plane before step 4, test extra variables such as different paper weights, extra paper clips, or varied winglet sizes while adding rows to your notebook table, film flights to analyze launch technique, and share your designs and results on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to build and test paper airplanes to explore lift, thrust, drag, and weight
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Facts about aerodynamics and flight
✂️ Tiny tweaks like a small fold, added paperclip, or a slightly heavier paper can dramatically change a paper airplane's flight.
🌬️ Bernoulli's principle helps wings create lift — faster air over the top surface lowers pressure and helps the plane rise.
📐 Launch angle matters: a gentle upward throw (often around 10–15°) with steady speed usually gives longer, smoother glides.
🧪 Modelers often do multiple test flights (3–5) and average the results to fairly compare and improve airplane designs.
🛩️ The world record for the farthest paper airplane flight is 69.14 meters (226 ft 10 in), thrown by Joe Ayoob with a plane folded by John Collins.
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