The Physics of Paper Planes

Aim: To find which of the 3 paper planes investigated is the best design. Two aspects were investigated: How far the planes flew How much lift the planes created Two planes of each design were tested.

The 3 planes investigated were: A simple dart The Harrier The Sky King

Measuring Lift A fan was used as a source of air The planes were attached to a stand and placed on a set of scales When the fan was turned on, the paper plane lifted up slightly The difference in weight between when the fan was on and off gave an indication of how much lift the plane design produced.

Results This chart shows the average lift (in grams) created by each plane design.

Analysis The Sky Kings had the highest lift, followed by the Darts. The Harriers gave the least lift.

Measuring Distance Each plane was thrown multiple times and the distance recorded to the nearest 10 cm. There was a moderate breeze, which may have had a negative effect on how far some of the planes flew.

Results

Analysis Judging from both the mean and median distance thrown, it appears that Sky Kings fly the best, followed by Harriers, and Darts fly the worst. However, the 3 designs flew around the same distance.

Further Analysis The Sky Kings flew the furthest maximum distance. The Harriers were the most consistent long distance fliers, with both planes flying over ten metres 5 times.

My Thoughts The Darts performed better than expected. They were easy to throw and reached a reasonable distance. The Harriers were somewhat harder to handle than the Darts, and reached only a few metres further than the Darts. It was quite difficult to throw the Sky Kings properly, however they flew the furthest.

Final Verdict The Sky Kings flew the best, however they were quite hard to throw properly. The Harriers and the Darts flew about the same distance, however the Darts created more lift. The Harriers glide, so should be able to fly further than the Darts. The Darts were very easy to handle, however they do not glide.

A Note on the Harrier The Harrier is a good all-round design: easy to fold, not very hard to throw, and a competent glider. It is able to be easily adjusted to improve its flight. From our verandah, I have thrown a Harrier a distance of 24 metres.

Records No records were harmed during this experiment. The current world records are: Length – 69.1 metres; held by John Collin’s design ‘Suzanne’ Time – 29.2 seconds; held by Tauko Toda’s design ‘Sky King’