The paper airplane has been around long before man-carrying planes. Surveys taken would probably show paper airplane enthusiasts as a different type of modeler. Countless paper planes fly around schoolrooms, and enthusiasts are rarely avid model buffs. Year after year, people from school kids to business executives continue building paper airplanes, a true fascination with this little craft evidenced by the Scientific American Great Paper Airplane Contest a decade ago. The contest drew entries from throughout the world. Editor's Note: Our own Bob Meuser took first place with much more sophisticated paper airplane designs ranging from annular cones to laminated structures resembling supersonic fighter planes.
In addition, original Scientific American contests prompted colleges throughout the country to organize their own paper airplane contests. Colleges still conduct contests annually, and at least on occasion, an entrant has flown over 133 feet. Several types of paper airplanes, pioneering origami crafts, have been flying over the heads of school children for generations. Origami, the Japanese art of folded paper, involves little planes that can follow several configurations and be good fliers.
The sophistication of paper airplanes has now gone far beyond the origami stage. Keith Gebers and Wallace Rigby, a colorful Englishman generally given credit as a pioneer artist, built paper airplanes. Rigby, who had built conventional model planes for international championship contests as a modeler in the 1930s, wanted a new challenge. He turned to paper and scissors. Rigby designed and produced both paper flying display models and moved design studios to the United States for several years. Paper planes, as well as cars, railroad equipment, and military hardware, were produced and sold by hundreds of thousands.
Most Rigby designs are three-dimensional models; however, some included simple single-plane-surface gliders that fly quite well indoors. During World War Two, paper airplanes almost came into their own as balsa was in short supply, leading to a flurry of paper model activity. Rigby designed a Mig Fighter featured in the 1942 edition of Air Trails. H. Thomas, a model wizard and air artist, designed several high-performance gliders and rubber-powered paper models. Some featured rolled fuselages and fold-over airfoil wings.
During the early war years, late Al Lewis, who later became editor of Air Trails and Air Progress, designed a simple high-performing cut-out paper glider made from a single piece of paper folded down the middle. Such a model tossed off the roof in East March 1977 could fly impressively. Perhaps the ultimate paper glider designed so far was the 1944 HA Thomas model with fold-under airfoil wings.
Top L Cut-out paper glider designed by Al Lewis in 1942. Folded sheet above, published during the balsa shortage of WW-II. Aircraft Age ran a Spitfire fighter, deluged with requests for big advancements in paper airplanes following the Scientific American Paper Airplane Contest in the 60s.
High-performance glider Ninom ye featured a 3-ply body made from three layers glued together and placed inside book pages to dry. Simple cut-out models continue to hold their own against other types of paper airplanes. They can be designed in different configurations, built by folding stiff paper in half, drawing a design on one side, and cutting wing and tail surfaces that are folded down as rudders, either built by folding elevator ends upward or inserting a single rudder between fuselage halves.
During the war years, numerous teenagers experimented with their own designs, some of which were very promising. An East Coast modeler created a paper glider constructed entirely from school notebook paper with a small advanced model pylon mounted airfoil wing. In Winter 1944, Aircraft Age magazine presented a novel paper glider based on the British Spitfire, a simple cutout model constructed from a folded sheet.
Kent Paper finished an appealing model capable of outstanding flights, especially when tossed outside tall buildings like schools. Time magazine was deluged with requests for additional designs it had never offered. Before the war's end, balsa again became available, along with new engines, relegating paper airplanes back to their lowly place in the classroom until the Scientific American contest reignited interest. Scientists, aeronautical engineers, artists, and schoolchildren entered the Scientific American contest.
Strangely, few model airplane hobbyists entered, perhaps because they didn't take it seriously enough. Although the designs were very advanced aerodynamically, entries followed conventional model airplane design procedures and construction techniques. One outstanding design came from Yasuaki Ninomiya, a Japanese engineer and model airplane builder. Ninomiya's designs were fairly conventional, consisting of models with canards and tricky configurations that flew beautifully, capable of long, straight sustained flights.
Other designs included a model based on Robert Steidle's book, Stick Paper Airplanes, called Cupid's Arrow. Instead of using wood parts, the original author built it entirely from paper. These paper models don’t have big parts; they're no bigger than a pack of cigarettes and made from two index cards. Wing mounts are separate, with tabs, and a double-ply fuselage that is stapled rather than glued together.
Joy Ann grew up in a man's world, as a third-grader who folded paper airplanes could keep up with the best. Today, rolled-tube fuselage paper gliders can hold their own against run-of-the-mill wooden jobs, featuring some interesting construction improvements. Ninomiya's models featured laminated fuselages glued together in layers for strength, plus curved airfoil wings; these models are light and strong and can be built from a variety of scale original designs.
What kind of person builds paper airplanes? The answer may surprise you: it's just kids. Some hard-core modelers toy with changing pace, while serious paper airplane enthusiasts are likely scientists, aeronautical engineers, or aerodynamic enthusiasts. Gary Hienze from San Jose, California, calls his aircraft Paper Sailplanes for good reason. He is a technically minded individual who spends spare time studying aerodynamics through experiments with paper airplanes and kites. Notably, about paper airplanes will prove beneficial to conventional modelers.
Paper airplanes serve as excellent prototype vehicles for experimental ideas. The author has had much success in this area, experimenting with annular rolled-wing tips that led to the smoothest climb and flattest glide he ever saw. A negative factor with paper gliders becomes apparent after a few flights on high humidity days, as the paper soaks up moisture which can slightly misalign the plane and drastically affect flight performance. There is less chance of a model coming apart in atmospheric conditions compared to Ninomiya's laminated construction.
Now here's a hot little number; like wooden gliders, it can be catapult launched high. It features a double-ply fuselage, stabilizer sections that fold down, and a fin glued between the plies of the wing piece simply glued to the top of the fuselage. Naturally, the paper is thicker, providing added sturdiness.
Turning the page, above lies the origami, the Japanese art of folded paper, so the schoolroom paper airplane and origami crafts have come a long way. Several outstanding books have been written about design. The authors featured all-glued seams and separate wing and tail sections. Variety spices life, and another factor to look at is careful rudder and stabilizer alignment, as a beautiful flight can be ruined if rudders get slightly twisted. Plus, side paper airplanes are easy to trim for flight patterns, as they can easily be adjusted by twisting the rudder right or left.
Building paper airplanes is a wonderful change of pace from work, requiring only a pleasant piece of stiff paper and a pair of scissors. Imagination can soar to new heights. Sure, paper airplanes are considered off-beat. Some builders scoff, but go ahead and give it a try; you might find it addictive.
Books on Paper Airplanes
Paper Airplanes by Jerry Mander, George Dippel, Howard Gossage, Great International Paper Airplane Book, 1967, Simon & Schuster NY, $2.95
Yasuaki Ninomiya, Jet Age Jamboree, Complete Collection of Paper Airplanes, 1968, Japan Publications San Francisco CA, $3.25
Yasuaki Ninomiya, Airborne Stars, Paper Flying Models of Famous Aircraft, 1969, Japan Publications San Francisco CA, $3.25
Ralph Barnaby, Make and Fly Paper Airplanes, 1968-1969, Four Winds Press NY, $3.50
Robert Steidle, Stick Paper Airplanes, 1971, Abelard-Schuman NY, $4.95
Fiji Nakamura, Flying Origami: Pure Fun, True Science, 1972, Japan Publications San Francisco CA, $4.95
Marc Arceneaux, Paper Airplanes, 1974, Troubador Press San Francisco CA, $1.68
As a saying goes, you could call them Flying Freaks, but today we might call them Flying Test Beds, like annular-winged canards that are very temperamental but capable of long, smooth flights if adequately adjusted.
