The Physics Behind Paper Airplanes

For years, people have been constructing paper airplanes. With almost endless possibilities on how to fold the plane, how should one decide on what folds are going to make his or her plane fly the farthest? Well, a paper airplane's flight is dependent on 4 major factors: thrust, drag, lift, and gravity.

- The thrust a paper airplane has is dependent on the throw. Thrust is the initial force that the thrower applies to the paper airplane. Even the best of paper airplanes has no chance of going anywhere if the throw is horrible.

- The drag is the air equivalent to friction. Drag is the air that pushes on the plane as it is flying, slowing it down. Drag is affected my the surface area of the plane. A plane that is larger will have more drag affecting it and pushing back on it harder.

- The lift component of a paper airplanes flight deals entirely with the plane's wings. Air moving over and under the plane's wings provides un upward lift force, keeping the plane in the air. The lift is the reason symmetry is essential in a paper airplane's design. If one wing has more air going over and under it, it will have more lift, and the paper airplane will get flipped to one side.

- The weight of the paper airplane also affects the plane's flight. Throughout the flight, gravity continues to pull the plane towards the ground.

Many people have attempted to find the perfect combination of thrust, drag, lift, and gravity in order to create the perfect paper airplane, but none have been as successful as John Collins, who designed the plane which currently holds the world record for distance. John managed to fold a plane that flew a distance of 226 feet.

With endless possibilities from long distance gliders to planes that essentially act like boomerangs, how will you fold your paper airplane?

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