How to Make the Simple UltraVulcan Paper Airplane

Fast, small and nimble, the Simple UltraVulcan is a capable interceptor paper airplane developed from the UltraVulcan with reduced complexity in its construction. Optimized as an interceptor, the Simple UltraVulcan can easily complement other similar aircraft like the StarSabre and Turbo Dagger.

The Simple UltraVulcan originated in mid-2013 as a project for an advanced trainer development of the Turbo Vulcan as a replacement for the now aging Eaglet. By October 2013, a new design for the Vulcan family's canards had been developed and was being used on new variants. In development of the time was the improved variant of the Turbo Vulcan, the UltraVulcan. To give the project greater potential for success, I decided the trainer project would be based upon the UltraVulcan, which differed from the Turbo Vulcan only in featuring the new canard design. As with the other Vulcan variants, performance of the trainer prototype only improved with this augmentation. Flight testing showed the aircraft to be sturdy, fast and capable of climbing well. While flight testing was completed in December 2013, the aircraft was kept from publication for several months to allow other aircraft a chance to be posted before it. Its smaller wing and shorter, stubbier fuselage made the advanced trainer (now called the "Simple UltraVulcan") an interceptor by nature. The aircraft remains an excellent choice for an advanced trainer for origami aviators familiar with slower types like the SkyCub and is a good airplane for those who are and are not familiar with high speed paper airplanes.

TAA USAF Designation: F292-13

Step 1: Materials

Required:
1 Piece of 8.5 by 11 inch Paper

Tape

Pencil

Ruler

Optional:

Scissors (additional surfaces only)

Step 2: Length and Nose Folding

Fold your paper in half length-wise. Then pull the paper down so that the crease stretches from the fold at the front you just made and the corner of the paper on the other side. Repeat on the other side. Once this is completed, pull the overhanging paper back above the center crease made earlier. Fold the edges of these sections down over the center crease as shown, then pull the triangular tip of the nose back over them.

Step 3: Nose, Canard, Wing and Winglet Folding

Begin this step by pulling the nose backward until the leading edge of the nose touches the trailing edge of the wing. Make a mark 1.5 inches in from this fold. Then reverse the fold up to this mark and make a crease as shown. Unfold this new crease, then pull the wingtips inward as shown. Once they are folded pull the nose forward once again. When this is done, fold the fuselage in half along the center crease. After this is done, open the nose fold as shown, then make the folds as pictured. Tuck these folds into themselves, then into the nose flap as you fold it back down again. Fold down the canards whilst keeping their leading edges aligned with the nose to maintain an angle of incidence of zero degrees. Make marks 1 inch from the center crease and 1 inch from the wingtip along the trailing edge of the wing. Following this, fold down the wings at the mark you made previously. Align the trailing edges of the wings with that of the fuselage to keep the angle of incidence at zero degrees. After this is finished, fold the wingtips down at the marks you made previously.

Step 4: Taping

Apply tape to the nose above and below the canard, as well as to the LERX-wing joint. Then apply tape to the rear of the fuselage and over the wing root near the trailing edge. This will complete your Simple UltraVulcan.

Step 5: Flight

Like the UltraVulcan, the SimpleUltraVulcan is a very capable, fast paper airplane. The Simple UltraVulcan should be launched at a neutral or positive attitude at a moderate to high speed. Additional applicable surfaces include flaps, elevators, ailerons, flaperons, elevons, rudders, air brakes, canard trim and an "electronic warfare" tail. Enjoy!