Indoor Paper Airplane Walkalong Glider

 by walkalongaviation
Featured
What's a walkalong glider? Here's a video of this indoor paper airplane walkalong glider design flown a distance of approximately 400m:


Building and flying your own airplane has always been high on the list of dreams of adventurous souls. Learning to build and fly the indoor paper airplane walkalong glider is a first step, off the grid and constructed from reused materials.

This instructable incorporates improvements on the Paper Airplane Walkalong Glider instructable. The improvements are as follows:

-Lighter paper- phone book paper instead of copier paper for slower speed and increased maneuverability
-Change in dimensions of initial sheet of paper (22cmX27cm) for pitch stability
-Central fold adds dihedral for better maneuverability
-Leading edges folded downward for softer stall characteristics
-Wedge cut out of tail section for reduced tail weight and better pitch stability
-Wedge fold in tail section for increased drag and slower flight

Please see the web page on Controllable Slope Soaring for more walkalong glider designs.
 
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Step 1: Construct Ballast assembly

DSCN1287.JPG
The first step involves cutting out a 22cmX27cm (or equal aspect ratio) rectangle of light paper. Here phone book paper was used but waxed tissue paper works even better. Waxed tissue paper is only slightly heavier than tissue paper but holds it's shape much better. Waxed tissue paper is used by florists because it maintains its shape when wet.

The ratio of dimensions of the rectangle are important for ensuring the correct washout angle in the wingtips (changing the ratio will change the distance between the leading and trailing edges relative to the width of the wingtip).

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Mic100 says: May 12, 2012. 1:33 PM
Good work :)
ultrabuilder7 says: May 10, 2012. 11:51 AM
How do you fly the airplane??? I try but it just goes down!!
yapoyo says: May 6, 2012. 7:16 AM
gotta clean up...
hugamo67 says: Mar 24, 2012. 6:36 PM
all mine does is do flips
mbourhan says: Mar 24, 2012. 1:04 AM
It works very good.....video instructions are all great
Edward Nardella says: Feb 17, 2012. 7:48 AM
I would really appriciate it if you updated this instructable so it can be completed without needing to see the video(s?).
Or if you uploaded the videos to instructables in WMV format.
I cannot complete this instructable unless you do this :(
i love aircraft says: Jan 25, 2012. 1:17 PM
how to turn fast. i only can turn a little bit.
Higgs Boson says: Jan 1, 2012. 12:52 PM
Will the cardboard trick work with any paper airplane glider or does it only work with yours? It doesn't work with a glider I made.
walkalongaviation (author) in reply to Higgs BosonJan 3, 2012. 2:37 PM
There are several design considerations to get a glider to fly properly in the limited area of lift created by cardboard sheets. The flying wing design flies in a nice bar of lift and a friend has adapted normal looking stick and tissue models to fly (his technique is different from mine!). Another consideration is the wing washout angle needed to make the glider responsive to turn inputs.

Hope this answers your question.
Higgs Boson in reply to walkalongaviationJan 7, 2012. 10:34 AM
thank you.
jpawar says: Dec 9, 2011. 11:34 PM
why does my glider always falls down????? answer please
hernandez101 says: Sep 9, 2011. 4:30 PM
hey i did the air plane but it did not work, any advices
hocngiap says: Aug 20, 2011. 2:11 AM
this is simply amazing
knexmaster12 says: Jun 30, 2011. 5:43 AM
why in the flying video does he have cardboard in his hands?
walkalongaviation (author) in reply to knexmaster12Jul 5, 2011. 11:34 AM
The cardboard sheet pushes the air, creating a smooth updraft.
mr BT says: Jun 20, 2010. 11:07 AM
Where did you have 0.4km of hallway to fly this thing? I have three guesses. 1. the tunnels under the US Capitol Complex connecting Congress and office buildings to the Library of Congress, etc. 2. The Pentagon, 3. A particle accelerator. Am I close? BTW - my glider flies great. The plans were excellent. Thanks!
tqwerty in reply to mr BTMay 19, 2011. 6:43 PM
City Hall! duh... XD
Applebohn in reply to mr BTJun 21, 2010. 1:58 PM
I bet it's in some university
Thoth in reply to mr BTJun 21, 2010. 7:36 AM
I think it maybe the the Infinite Corridor that runs under the buildings at M.I.T.
Epimetheus in reply to mr BTJun 20, 2010. 11:53 AM
Looks like a dorm ~~
yztay says: Jun 23, 2010. 3:42 AM
looks like a good way to keep in shape ;)
JohnJY says: Jun 21, 2010. 8:30 AM
I built it, but just can't get the plane to fly right. And when I mean fly right I fly at all. Oh well.
MARIUSBMX says: Jun 20, 2010. 10:40 PM
Oh! This is so cool, congratulations dude!!! I love the application of fluid mechanics in your airplane :P, plus I made one and it's so fun to chase it around my house :D.
DELETED_Jaif14 says: Jun 20, 2010. 12:09 PM
(removed by author or community request)
mashedpotato13 in reply to DELETED_Jaif14Jun 20, 2010. 9:35 PM
Not really. This is like an airplane while the sciencetoymaker one is like a glider.
culepet says: Jun 20, 2010. 6:33 PM
maybe better or great if could fly outdoor hehe ^_^
Helder4u says: Jun 20, 2010. 4:19 PM
Fascinating, seems You are very intelligent. Should work with the real big stuff!
aty says: Jun 20, 2010. 1:31 PM
Great !!! TNX !
zanethebrain says: Jun 20, 2010. 10:50 AM
haha this is cool!
LandMime says: Jun 20, 2010. 7:20 AM
Good job, Man!
happybirthday says: Jun 19, 2010. 9:17 AM
Wow, I made it and it works very well.
Shredder543 says: May 23, 2010. 7:13 PM
Mine does a nose-dive when I start it.  What am I doing wrong?
spartan711 says: May 19, 2010. 6:00 PM
 Awsome
cantrell8 says: Sep 7, 2009. 10:24 AM
Wow 5stars!!!!!!!!!!!!
J@50n says: Aug 18, 2009. 8:24 PM
when you go "after" it with cardboard, do you run walk or fast walk? just curious.
walkalongaviation (author) in reply to J@50nAug 20, 2009. 9:08 AM
This is a great question. If the plane is constructed from the lightest paper, waxed tissue paper, you can count on more walking than running. The bottom line, of course, is that you have to keep up with the paper airplane to have any effect on it. In the 3 minute flight above, the plane is constructed from lighter phonebook paper. There were definitely both head and tail winds during the 400 meter flight path necessitating walking and running to keep up with the plane.
J@50n in reply to walkalongaviationAug 20, 2009. 11:49 AM
thanks!
Mothys says: May 9, 2009. 10:35 AM
beastly
carlwylde says: May 7, 2009. 6:32 PM
You are great, Thanx :D
sysproo says: Apr 30, 2009. 7:13 PM
hi, it's a great work :) i'll do it too
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