Paper Pilot: Battle of the Air

February 22, 2008 6:33 AM

Flash Friday Fun: Design a paper airplane and then see how far you can fling it. (Sound warning)
posted by spock (29 comments total)

Very cool. It also helps that I am a huge Solidworks fan...!
posted by gregvr at 6:38 AM on February 22, 2008

Wah I can't break the 50m barrier! 47.9!
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 7:13 AM on February 22, 2008

I am stuck at 40m.
posted by dov3 at 7:14 AM on February 22, 2008

Whoever breaks that 50m mark will be a god among internerds.
posted by pokermonk at 7:22 AM on February 22, 2008

ha! I launched one and got the "I threw it too hard" message and STILL managed to fly 20 m!

Beat that punx!
posted by Sam.Burdick at 7:30 AM on February 22, 2008

Oh great. I designed this awesome dart, with cool winglets, just a touch of elevator, and the perfect weight paper. Got to the throwing screen, so I did the math, pulled it back to max power at a 38 degree angle, waited for the wind to be just right and RELEASED!

It looped around and hit me in the back of the head.

Fail.
posted by LordSludge at 7:43 AM on February 22, 2008

46 is my best so far. That 50 mark is tough!
posted by genefinder at 7:55 AM on February 22, 2008

I think those who are successful should share the specs of their airplanes.
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 8:22 AM on February 22, 2008

Getting to 50 meters is skull @ * -ing hard!
posted by ND¢ at 8:23 AM on February 22, 2008

I just got 46.7 and did it with plane type C, paper weight of 50, elevators at 25 and winglets on. Just hauled off and threw the hell out of it while pointing slightly down.
posted by ND¢ at 8:35 AM on February 22, 2008

47.6: type c, pw of 20, e 35, w on.
posted by ND¢ at 8:45 AM on February 22, 2008

Can't get past 48 :(
posted by milarepa at 9:06 AM on February 22, 2008

I really should be writing right now.

Sigh.

Plane C.

Paper Weight : 51

Elevators: 34

Winglets: On

Gets me 47+ pretty consistently but not 50 yet.
posted by jeremias at 9:11 AM on February 22, 2008

Can't get past 45m.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 9:13 AM on February 22, 2008

I've hit 48.4.... Plane C seems to be the best. Weight 44, Elevators 36, Winglets on.
posted by inigo2 at 9:14 AM on February 22, 2008

Ok, am done but after quick search on the Internet Pipes I stole these settings shamelessly from some guy on Digg to get 49. (I feel so dirty)

"Type C- 0 Weight, 29 Elevators, Tips on. Pull back 90% of the way and throw slightly down."
posted by jeremias at 9:54 AM on February 22, 2008

I have yet to get anywhere near 45m on a regular throw.

But I did just get 20.7m after a complete loop-de-loop. Beat that.
posted by googly at 10:02 AM on February 22, 2008

I just broke 40m for the first time, and I'm totally thrilled.
posted by box at 10:18 AM on February 22, 2008

Inducing from runs so far I believe that a good run cuts through the flags and reaches its zenith around the 35m mark (is it possible to delay the zenith? how?). I don't really buy the 90% power thing - anything over say 60% causes a loop-de-loop for me. Inclination is slightly downward - I've been experimented with lower starting pitches or even almost level but see little improvement.

Main issue is pitch: the greater the altitude, the sharper the pitch, and you gain very little distance, it seems. Difficult to keep the pitch even on the descent.

Great timewaster, thanks!
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 12:05 PM on February 22, 2008

48.0m

I'm starting to think it's not possible. Anyone?
posted by rooftop secrets at 1:02 PM on February 22, 2008

I managed 49.0m. Starting to believe that 50 isn’t possible.
posted by breaks the guidelines? at 1:16 PM on February 22, 2008

It's a little "law of diminishing returns", isn't it? Fun to build and tweak but it gets kind of tiresome when you can't break your high score (of which, AFAICT, no record is kept by the way).
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 5:32 PM on February 22, 2008

Paper Planes?
posted by sparkletone at 5:41 PM on February 22, 2008

48.6 is as high as I am going to get. This is fun until you realize that you are never going to get 50m; you can only get close enough to convince yourself that you can get all the way.
posted by KingoftheWhales at 10:13 PM on February 22, 2008

yeah, 50 seems damn near impossible. if only there was a "max allowable power" macro or something.. I'm loop-de-looping just trying to get the right power.nodded
posted by tehloki at 12:11 AM on February 23, 2008

nodded? I didn't type nodded...nodded
posted by tehloki at 12:12 AM on February 23, 2008

WHAT KEEPS ADDING NODDED TO THE END OF MY COMMENTS?
posted by tehloki at 12:12 AM on February 23, 2008 [1 favorite]

Maybe you just need to lie down for a bit.burnthings
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 4:28 AM on February 23, 2008 [1 favorite]

Also: San Dimas high school football rules.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 4:28 AM on February 23, 2008