![]() All planes experience drag from the wind pushing against the thrusting force-whether that force comes from an engine, a propeller, or someone’s arm.Įach of these forces plays a vital role in helping planes-including paper ones-reach their destinations. Think about what happens when you ride downhill on a bike or sled-it feels like the air is pushing against you. This occurs because of friction from the air moving against the plane. While gravity helps create lift at the start of a paper plane’s journey, over time, the paper’s weight causes the plane to fall back to the ground and land.ĭrag is a force that acts opposite to a plane’s thrust and slows it down. Weight is the downward force caused by gravity. After you throw a paper plane, the gravitational force that pulls it down makes the air pressure below the paper “wings” higher than the air pressure above them, causing the paper airplane to fly. Because their wings aren’t shaped like those on real planes, these paper vehicles rely on gravity to achieve lift. Paper airplanes create lift a little differently. This makes the air pressure above the wing lower than the air pressure below it, resulting in an upward force against the bottom of the wing that lifts it into the air. On a standard plane, the wings provide lift thanks to their shape, which allows air to move faster over the top of the wing than the bottom. Lift is the force that holds an airplane up. A paper airplane’s thrust comes from your arm as you throw it. A real airplane’s thrust typically comes from a propeller or jet engine. Thrust is the force that moves the plane forward. How does a paper airplane fly, anyway? These whimsical creations glide through the air thanks to the four forces of flight: thrust, lift, weight, and drag. Grab some paper, gather the family, and learn how to make an easy paper airplane. Making paper airplanes is a fun challenge, and with a few tips and tricks, your kids’ planes will really soar. Since then, children and adults around the world have tried to perfect the art of folding paper and making it fly. Others believe the planes could have been researched tools of Italian inventor Leonardo Da Vinci and British aviator Sir George Cayley.Īlthough we don’t know exactly when the first “plane” was folded, many agree that kids played with aerodynamic paper shapes as early as 1864, when they were called “paper darts” (because airplanes had yet to be invented). Some say the Chinese invented the first paper airplane over 2,000 years ago when experimenting with paper kites. Remember these designs are basic designs that you can modify easily to make more complex.The paper airplane has been a childhood staple for a very long time-in fact, this folded marvel has delighted people for so long that historians aren’t entirely sure about its origins. ![]()
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