The Best Paper Airplane in The World
December 5, 2011 10:34 AM Subscribe
The DC-3: The Best Paper Airplane in The World. "During the summer of 1950, on the outskirts of Harrisburg Pennsylvania U.S.A., my sister's boyfriend 'Skip' was sitting on the glider on the front porch of our house. He said to me - Hey Mike... bring me a sheet of paper.' I answered why? and he responded with his make believe impatience 'Just bring it!' I obeyed and he said that he was going to build the best paper airplane in the world. I was eight years old at the time and my meager knowledge of paper airplanes was the traditional flying wedge that spiraled into tight loops and fell head first to the ground."
"When he started folding the paper, I knew this was something different, something special. He never explained how he did it but every move, every fold, every detail was burned into my memory. After he finished, we walked the porch handrail and he gently tossed it horizontally towards the street. It glided like no paper airplane I have ever seen before, it was acting like a REAL airplane. It gently curved into the slight breeze and began to rise vertically without moving forward. The craft then began to lower as if it were a helicopter and gently came to rest on the asphalt below."
What makes it special (from the website):
A pdf guide to show you where to fold.
Two YouTube videos showing you how to make it.
And finally, instructions on how to best fly it.
"When he started folding the paper, I knew this was something different, something special. He never explained how he did it but every move, every fold, every detail was burned into my memory. After he finished, we walked the porch handrail and he gently tossed it horizontally towards the street. It glided like no paper airplane I have ever seen before, it was acting like a REAL airplane. It gently curved into the slight breeze and began to rise vertically without moving forward. The craft then began to lower as if it were a helicopter and gently came to rest on the asphalt below."
What makes it special (from the website):
1. It folds progressively thicker where the wing joins the fuselage, preventing distortion on windy days.Assembly instructions: part 1, part 2, part 3
2. Its long tail gives directional stability.
3. It can be flown with or without a tail.
4. It has upturned wingtips to prevent wingtip vortex.
5. Its flight is similar to a balsa wood plane rather than a paper airplane.
6. It has multiple folds of paper that concentrate the center of gravity well below and forward of the wings for hang-glider stability.
A pdf guide to show you where to fold.
Two YouTube videos showing you how to make it.
And finally, instructions on how to best fly it.
That design, or one very similar, is in the fabulous book that I grew up with: The Great International Paper Airplane Book.
It also contains a paper helicopter (featured on the cover) that wowed the grade school set.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 10:38 AM on December 5, 2011 [10 favorites]
It also contains a paper helicopter (featured on the cover) that wowed the grade school set.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 10:38 AM on December 5, 2011 [10 favorites]
I had (have? maybe I should dig) that book too! I can attest to its general awesomeness. If I remember correctly, it also had plans for a matchstick rocket that I never quite had the bravery to build.
posted by the dief at 10:39 AM on December 5, 2011
posted by the dief at 10:39 AM on December 5, 2011
It's only cool if you light it on fire prior to launching it.
posted by stormpooper at 10:40 AM on December 5, 2011
posted by stormpooper at 10:40 AM on December 5, 2011
I was thinking about this plane just yesterday, oddly enough. I can verify: this is, indeed, the best paper airplane in the world. I was thinking about this plane just yesterday, oddly enough.
posted by slogger at 10:41 AM on December 5, 2011
posted by slogger at 10:41 AM on December 5, 2011
Moisten the crease with your tongue. Do this slowly and carefully or you could receive a painful paper cut on your tongue.
The voice of experience.
posted by ersatz at 10:42 AM on December 5, 2011 [2 favorites]
The voice of experience.
posted by ersatz at 10:42 AM on December 5, 2011 [2 favorites]
That's a nice link farm you've got there.
Eh, just breaking it up for easier navigation. There's a lot of dross among the good stuff.
posted by SpacemanStix at 10:44 AM on December 5, 2011
Eh, just breaking it up for easier navigation. There's a lot of dross among the good stuff.
posted by SpacemanStix at 10:44 AM on December 5, 2011
Paper airplanes are so 1970's, I love it.
After years of attempts, my little brother and I settled on a wide winged front weighted glider design. Almost won a Mercedes at the Dome in '88 with it. Skipped off the damn roof.
posted by Sphinx at 10:46 AM on December 5, 2011
After years of attempts, my little brother and I settled on a wide winged front weighted glider design. Almost won a Mercedes at the Dome in '88 with it. Skipped off the damn roof.
posted by Sphinx at 10:46 AM on December 5, 2011
I'm sure we've covered this before but here goes: Paper Airplane Flight Down Infinite Corridor
posted by marvin at 10:48 AM on December 5, 2011 [5 favorites]
posted by marvin at 10:48 AM on December 5, 2011 [5 favorites]
it also had plans for a matchstick rocket that I never quite had the bravery to build.
I still make these on occasion. Match Rocket!
posted by kuujjuarapik at 10:49 AM on December 5, 2011 [2 favorites]
I still make these on occasion. Match Rocket!
posted by kuujjuarapik at 10:49 AM on December 5, 2011 [2 favorites]
Sidebar ad reads
The airplane is cool, though. One of the pages includes a bit of "aviation poetry", which I would supplement with this old gem.
posted by Wolfdog at 10:51 AM on December 5, 2011
The Top 3 MLP's to BuyI was very disappointed.
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The airplane is cool, though. One of the pages includes a bit of "aviation poetry", which I would supplement with this old gem.
posted by Wolfdog at 10:51 AM on December 5, 2011
We used to use half of a ball point pen to make match rockets. Pissed off our parents as all of the pens in the house disappeared. Good memories.
posted by tomswift at 10:59 AM on December 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by tomswift at 10:59 AM on December 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
I thought the hidden secret was to put a paperclip on the pointy end and fling it at your enemy target like a dart.
posted by 2bucksplus at 11:06 AM on December 5, 2011
posted by 2bucksplus at 11:06 AM on December 5, 2011
There's some folds through 16-18 that could be better if it were done origami style. I folded this plane and I think the kids will like it, but now I want to make the best better!
posted by PuppyCat at 11:14 AM on December 5, 2011
posted by PuppyCat at 11:14 AM on December 5, 2011
Maybe I somehow missed it, but is there any video of this thing actually flying?
posted by hincandenza at 11:21 AM on December 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by hincandenza at 11:21 AM on December 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
I also had the Great International Paper Airplane book, and once I made this plane. I didn't exploring in that book much more (though I did, and still do make the matchstick rocket). I loved making that plane, but dropped the tail. I preferred making it from a single sheet, quickly, and impressing friends who had seen little more than the quick delta wing point planes. The stocky little plane I'd fold just looked stupid, but it outflew everything else. That plane was a great childhood discovery, and now I'm wondering if I could still remember and fold it.
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 11:38 AM on December 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat at 11:38 AM on December 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
The Great International Paper Airplane Book.
Oh man, I loved that book when I was a kid (I still have it around here somewhere).
And yeah, those paper match rockets actually do work. Lots of fun with those.
posted by Relay at 11:44 AM on December 5, 2011
Oh man, I loved that book when I was a kid (I still have it around here somewhere).
And yeah, those paper match rockets actually do work. Lots of fun with those.
posted by Relay at 11:44 AM on December 5, 2011
If I remember correctly, it also had plans for a matchstick rocket that I never quite had the bravery to build.
It did! I tried it a few times but never got it to work really well.
Unfortunately doesn't seem to be a google books result or anything like it for this, so I can't really say "my faves were #7, 12, and 15" or the like. But that helicopter was a standout and I can make one right now from memory (but probably shouldn't). My brother and I made every plane in the book and experimented with numerous variations (though, at my age, this mostly meant sticking ailerons on everything). It was huge fun and mildly educational.
The featured craft was one of the better ones, but a quick google isn't showing me anything linkable to my favourite design of the bunch.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 11:45 AM on December 5, 2011
It did! I tried it a few times but never got it to work really well.
Unfortunately doesn't seem to be a google books result or anything like it for this, so I can't really say "my faves were #7, 12, and 15" or the like. But that helicopter was a standout and I can make one right now from memory (but probably shouldn't). My brother and I made every plane in the book and experimented with numerous variations (though, at my age, this mostly meant sticking ailerons on everything). It was huge fun and mildly educational.
The featured craft was one of the better ones, but a quick google isn't showing me anything linkable to my favourite design of the bunch.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 11:45 AM on December 5, 2011
As a child, I was continually frustrated by my inability to construct a paper airplane that would, you know, fly.
It never occurred to me that there might be a book on it any more than I thought there would be a book on whistling with your fingers.
I did manage to finally conquer that one, after a couple of weeks of disappointing slobbering.
posted by mmrtnt at 11:48 AM on December 5, 2011
It never occurred to me that there might be a book on it any more than I thought there would be a book on whistling with your fingers.
I did manage to finally conquer that one, after a couple of weeks of disappointing slobbering.
posted by mmrtnt at 11:48 AM on December 5, 2011
Love it, similar in concept to the "Danish Paper Airplane" I learned as a boy, although much more complicated.
Aircraft shown with landing gears down.
"Gear" is a mass / collective noun in this context, sorry for the pedantry.
posted by Meatbomb at 12:00 PM on December 5, 2011
Aircraft shown with landing gears down.
"Gear" is a mass / collective noun in this context, sorry for the pedantry.
posted by Meatbomb at 12:00 PM on December 5, 2011
Metafilter: I did manage to finally conquer that one, after a couple of weeks of disappointing slobbering.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 12:01 PM on December 5, 2011
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 12:01 PM on December 5, 2011
I still make these on occasion. Match Rocket!
A friend and I came up with pretty much that exact design completely independently in high school, metal straw and everything! Except it didn't work. Instead we ended up inventing a Match Roman Candle. I'm still not sure what went wrong.
posted by darksasami at 12:16 PM on December 5, 2011
A friend and I came up with pretty much that exact design completely independently in high school, metal straw and everything! Except it didn't work. Instead we ended up inventing a Match Roman Candle. I'm still not sure what went wrong.
posted by darksasami at 12:16 PM on December 5, 2011
Instead we ended up inventing a Match Roman Candle. I'm still not sure what went wrong.
More like, what went right!
posted by SpacemanStix at 12:20 PM on December 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
More like, what went right!
posted by SpacemanStix at 12:20 PM on December 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
I tried it and gave up on steps 16-18, instructions too unclear even with the web page instructions, YouTube video, flash animation and line drawn PDF, can't figure it out. WTF. Then step 19 it says "These folds are difficult to describe". Forget it. How hard is this to create instructions that anyone can follow? Or is the figuring out difficult instructions part the whole point, like some kind of secret you have to decode, so you feel like a genius if/when you accomplish it. Maybe it takes a genius to write simple instructions (and yeah I'm sure 10 people will follow up saying they had no trouble on the first try).
posted by stbalbach at 12:37 PM on December 5, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by stbalbach at 12:37 PM on December 5, 2011 [2 favorites]
I eventually got through steps 16-18, although it took a lot of squinting and cursing at those illustrations, videos, and animations. The next fold ("difficult to describe") is actually pretty straightforward; you just fold the large nose back, leaving the smaller one to stick out.
That said, maybe I did something wrong, because mine didn't fly anything like what they describe. It wants to loop over backwards and smash itself into the walls. Now it's sitting irretrievably down between the desk and the wall, a potent symbol of mankind's foolish dreams crushed by bitter reality.
posted by echo target at 12:54 PM on December 5, 2011 [3 favorites]
That said, maybe I did something wrong, because mine didn't fly anything like what they describe. It wants to loop over backwards and smash itself into the walls. Now it's sitting irretrievably down between the desk and the wall, a potent symbol of mankind's foolish dreams crushed by bitter reality.
posted by echo target at 12:54 PM on December 5, 2011 [3 favorites]
I've flown in the DC-3 a few times. This is a very nice paper airplane, but as far as I'm concerned, if the landing lights aren't held on with bent coathangers, it's not a real DC-3.
posted by McCoy Pauley at 1:27 PM on December 5, 2011
posted by McCoy Pauley at 1:27 PM on December 5, 2011
What a useless set of directions. Step 19 is too high of a bar. I guess I'll go back to making regular old paper airplanes. Or, you know, not.
posted by yeti at 2:49 PM on December 5, 2011
posted by yeti at 2:49 PM on December 5, 2011
Wait, I forgot about the 11-foot paper airplane. Ok, we didn't build every one.
Worth getting ahold of a copy, though, if there isn't enough praise in this thread already pointing in that direction. pdf appears to be available online, but I won't link here, especially considering the source I found crows about it still being in print.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 3:17 PM on December 5, 2011
Worth getting ahold of a copy, though, if there isn't enough praise in this thread already pointing in that direction. pdf appears to be available online, but I won't link here, especially considering the source I found crows about it still being in print.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 3:17 PM on December 5, 2011
Actually, I believe this is a demonstration of the best paper airplane, although it may only be theoretical. (youtube video, go to 4:01).
posted by Vindaloo at 5:40 PM on December 5, 2011
posted by Vindaloo at 5:40 PM on December 5, 2011
Step 18 should read something like - 'Now fold the upper part of the left panel inward from towards the top (but not the very top), coming to meet the partial fold from the last step, and making a flap that you can tuck in so it looks like the picture.'
It's a bit like the petal fold in the origami bird base, though it's not quite the same as here you end up with an outside flap.
posted by motty at 5:54 PM on December 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
It's a bit like the petal fold in the origami bird base, though it's not quite the same as here you end up with an outside flap.
posted by motty at 5:54 PM on December 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
Step 18 was terrible, but I got it from the Google Video, and it's really not complicated. In 15 you have a central diamond shape. In 16 & 17 you fold the bottom sides up into a kite. In 18 you take the corner of the kite and tuck it in under the flap from 16/17.
Could definitely use the standard origami diagram treatment.
Mine flies pretty well. A paperclip holding the fuselage together seems to help a lot.
posted by alexei at 6:11 PM on December 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
Could definitely use the standard origami diagram treatment.
Mine flies pretty well. A paperclip holding the fuselage together seems to help a lot.
posted by alexei at 6:11 PM on December 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
I used to make a stunt plane that is the exact start of this, only it doesn't tear off a strip of paper for a tail and has a more blunt front end. Looks a bit like a delta wing and loops quite well.
For a moment I was very confused, because while it was great for acrobatics, acting like a REAL airplane was way out of its league...
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 7:59 PM on December 5, 2011
For a moment I was very confused, because while it was great for acrobatics, acting like a REAL airplane was way out of its league...
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 7:59 PM on December 5, 2011
It also contains a paper helicopter (featured on the cover) that wowed the grade school set.
I remember that helicopter! Back in the late 1970s, I used to wait until after church service finished, and carefully tear apart my church bulletin to make one, so I could take it over to the heating vent. It was a big 3' x 3' grill on the floor, which in the winter months would periodically roar with a whoosh of hot air from the furnace in the basement.
As my parents socialized with the neighbors after the benediction, I would wait for the furnace to roar to life, and let my helicopter go, to spin up, up, up, trying to reach the 30' ceiling. It rarely made it, usually it would slip out of the air stream, but either way it would spin its back down to me, to try again.
posted by fings at 10:08 PM on December 5, 2011 [3 favorites]
I remember that helicopter! Back in the late 1970s, I used to wait until after church service finished, and carefully tear apart my church bulletin to make one, so I could take it over to the heating vent. It was a big 3' x 3' grill on the floor, which in the winter months would periodically roar with a whoosh of hot air from the furnace in the basement.
As my parents socialized with the neighbors after the benediction, I would wait for the furnace to roar to life, and let my helicopter go, to spin up, up, up, trying to reach the 30' ceiling. It rarely made it, usually it would slip out of the air stream, but either way it would spin its back down to me, to try again.
posted by fings at 10:08 PM on December 5, 2011 [3 favorites]
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