I. Background of The Study

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I.

Background of the Study

We have always seen airplanes and much more so for paper planes. From
childhood to adulthood, we just can’t get enough seeing paper planes fly, soaring
to the sky freely. This thing is so common that we have taken it for granted.

In this research paper, we will examine a special type of paper plane, the paper
plane that flew the farthest and was recorded by Guinness World Records 1 as the
farthest flight achieved by a paper plane. This particular paper plane flew for
seconds and reached a distance of 69.14 meters (226 feet 10 inches). John M.
Collins, the paper plane’s designer, and together with Joe Ayoob who flew it,
achieved this feat at McClellan Air Force Base, in North Highlands, California,
USA on 26 February 2012.

The paper plane was constructed from a single sheet of uncut A4 paper. The plane
was flown in a controlled environment where there was no wind that could
potentially affect its flight.

II. Overview of the Problem

There are many types of paper planes, some of which loop, circle back, flap their
wings and spin, tumble, soar, and, of course, glide. These types of paper planes
are sometimes similar or vary greatly in structure and components. Each fold of
the paper has a collective effect on the paper plane’s flight, some may result in the
plane just dropping down when flown or may stay afloat for a long period of time.

In this research paper, as stated above, we will examine the paper plane that is
recorded by the Guinness World Records that has flown the farthest. We will
answer the question: How this particular paper plane is able to fly for 69.14
meters?

Factors such as the dimension of the paper used, angle of attack of the paper plane
when flown, the factors affecting flight—thrust, lift, drag and weight—the
structure of the paper plane, and most important of all, the overall design of the
plane will all be examined.

Moreover, through the course of our research, the more information we collect,
we will attempt to design a paper that will surpass the world record. However, it
might be necessary to state that John M. Collins spent several months studying
Origami, a very necessary skill to design a good paper plane, and aerodynamics,
in which it is his field of study. Thus, for students like us, we are limited only to

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our observations on his paper plane’s model, upon which we will try to improve
to build a more efficient paper plane.

III. Objectives of the Study


a.

IV. Scope and Limitation

V. Methodology

In this chapter, we discuss the methods that have been used in the process of
collecting the data which are presented in this research paper.

For our research, we took advantage of our ever-increasing technology to lessen


our burden in the process of making this research—the internet. However, for the
reason that there are many unreliable sources here and there in the internet, we
take extreme precaution in validating our sources. Our minimum requirement so
that it will be included in our research is that the website must have a structured
foundation and a reputable reputation. Take www.nasa.gov (the official website
of National Aeronautics and Space Administration—NASA) for example, we
chose this particular website because it is a true organization that has intense
research on subjects that are very helpful to human beings and the environment.
We also tested our products personally to determine and verify if the information
in our sources are true.

VI. Review of Related Literature


a. Factors affecting the flight of a paper-plane.

In a paper-plane, instead of four, there are only three forces acting on it: lift, drag,
and gravity (https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/airplane/bmotion.html). There
is no thrust on a paper-plane because it has no engine; the engine is the one
producing thrust (https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/airplane/glidfor.html).

1. The force of resistance an object is experiencing while moving through


the air is called drag. Paper planes that push a lot of air are said to
have a lot of drag. If you want your paper-plane to fly as far as
possible, you want a paper-plane with as little drag as possible.

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2. A second force that paper planes need to overcome is gravity. The
paper plane's weight must be kept to a minimum to help fight against
gravity's pull to the ground.
3. Lift comes when the air below the paper-plane wing is pushing up
harder than the air above it is pushing down. It is this difference in
pressure that enables the plane to fly. Pressure can be reduced on a
wing's surface by making the air move over it more quickly. The
wings of a plane are curved so that the air moves more quickly over
the top of the wing, resulting in an upward push, or lift, on the wing.
(https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/what-makes-
paper-airplanes-fly/)
LIFT

DRAG

GRAVITY

Image source: http://origami-blog.origami-kids.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/skyking021.jpg?ab568e

b. Parts of a paper plane.

The parts of a paper plane vary from type to type. Some paper planes that behave
like a boomerang when thrown have different structure while others have simpler
designs. Nonetheless, all paper planes have basic structures or parts.
1) Fin 2) Tail Area

3) Wings

1) Fin

4) Nose

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Image source: http://origami-blog.origami-kids.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/skyking021.jpg?ab568e

1. The fin of this particular paper plane serves as the vertical stabilizer. It
stabilizes the paper plane so that it will not tilt to the right or left.
2. The tail area serves as the horizontal stabilizer so that the paper plane
won’t prematurely go down when flown.
3. Most of the lift happens on the wings of the plane, it is important to have
both sides of the paper plane symmetrical so that the lift would be equal
on both sides.
4. Lastly, the nose directs which direction the plane should go, whether
upward or downward.

c. Factors in the process of designing that affect the paper-plane’s performance.


1. Human error. Perhaps the most obvious factor that affects the
performance of a paper plane is human error. From folding the paper plane
to flying it is made by the human hands, thus errors or mistakes can’t be
avoided. For instance, incorrectly folding the parts affects the performance
of the paper plane, so make sure to be accurate as much as possible when
doing the task. When throwing the plane, make sure that you’ve given the
required force as much as possible to achieve the best performance of the
paper plane.
2. The material. Although we’ve limited the specific material to
which the paper planes should be designed, the material is still bound to be
faulty, albeit sometimes. For instance, there may be creases that exist here
and there in the material, and that would make the finish product
somewhat rough. So be careful when choosing the material.

VII. Summary

There is more than one force that affects the flight of things. For paper planes, we
can just ignore them but for a smooth flying experience, they must be considered
seriously. To have the paper planes fly a long distance, factors such as lift, drag
and weight should be taken in consideration. It’s the same with avoiding as much
human errors as possible and considering the material to use.

However, paper planes can’t fly for a long time because it has no engine. In order
for a paper plane to fly, it must generate lift to oppose its weight. To generate lift,
a paper plane must move through the air. The motion of a paper plane through the

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air also generates drag. In a powered aircraft, the thrust from the engine opposes
drag, but a paper plane has no engine to generate thrust. With the drag unopposed,
a glider quickly slows down until it can no longer generate enough lift to oppose
the weight, and it then falls to earth.
VIII. References

https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/what-makes-paper-
airplanes-fly/

https://www.grc.nasa.grov/www/k-12/airplane/glidfor.html

https://www.ukessays.com/essays/engineering/effect-of-design-on-paper-plane-flight-
patterns-engineering-essay.php

https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/airplane/glidpaper.html

https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/what-makes-paper-
airplanes-fly

http://origami-blog.origami-kids.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/skyking021.jpg?ab568e

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