Andrew Dewar - One Minute Paper Airplanes

ANDREW DEWAR
TUTTLE Publishing
Tokyo | Rutland, Vermont | Singapore Contents Flying Tips
How to Download the Bonus Material of this Book.
1. You must have an internet connection. 2. Click the link below or copy paste the URL to your web browser. http://www.tuttlepublishing.com/one-minute-paper-airplanes-kit-downloadable-cd-content For support email us at . Build in a Minute, Fly for a Minute When I was a kid, I occasionally bought some balsa wood and tissue paper, a propeller, and a bit of rubber, and then spent several weekends turning them into a model airplane.

I knew from magazines that they should fly great, if I had the patience to build and trim them properly. Well, I didnt have that patience, and my planes didnt fly. What I really wanted to do was get out flying right away. Several days of building were too much. But if I used paper instead of balsa, I found I could put together a decent model rather quickly and be out on the lawn flying in no time. (And paper didnt require trips to a distant shop to buy special supplies!) The planes in this book are the ultimate expression of that desire for interesting models that can be built quickly but still have exciting performance.

By carefully folding and stapling, these planes can be assembled and trimmed in little more than a minute, perhaps right at the park. Yet they fly for a surprisingly long time probably longer than any paper airplane youve built before. A model like Cirrus might even fly for longer than it takes to put together built in a minute, and flown for a minute! Here you go, your dream fulfilled. What are you waiting for?

Tools and Techniques stapler ruler craft knife (and cutting mat) tweezers scissors white or stick glue (optional) Use a ruler when you fold for crisp, straight creases that dont weaken the paper. Once youve creased the paper, use your fingers to gently fold it to just the right angle. You can push out the larger parts with your fingers, but the paper will be less likely to crease or tear if you use a craft knife to cut them loose. You can push out the larger parts with your fingers, but the paper will be less likely to crease or tear if you use a craft knife to cut them loose.

Cut slits carefully with scissors. Hold the layers of paper tightly when stapling, and use the marks as guides. But dont push too hard or too suddenly when stapling, or the staple will bend. Just operate the stapler normally and the staple will punch right through all the paper. Carefully trim the flash from around the edges of parts you have pushed out. This will make them look cleaner and fit together better.

Dont worry if you accidentally tear the paper or cut the wrong thing. In most cases you can patch up the cut from the inside with a small scrap of paper. Butt the two edges together, and glue the patch behind it, or between two parts. If the patch is small, it wont affect the balance. Tweezers are great for holding and folding smallish parts, and firmly pressing down the ends of the staples. Too much glue. Too much glue.

If you dont have a suitable stapler, you can also use glue to build these planes. Use a toothpick to spread a drop of white school glue evenly over the whole surface to be glued. Very little is needed; in fact, a transparent film sticks much better than a thick layer. A little glue will make strong, clean joints. Too much glue will warp the paper and ooze out at the edges, and make your plane look messy and grimy. And messy, warped planes dont fly very well.

I recommend that you practice with scraps of paper before gluing actual parts.

Test Flying Just right! Warped wings! Warped tail! Your plane wont fly well if the wings are warped or twisted. You can check alignment by holding the model at arms length and examining it from the front and back.