Paper Airplane Walkalong Glider

Step 4 Powering and Controlling the Surfer Paper Airplane

A 96cm X 75cm piece of corrugated cardboard was used as a controllable slope. Larger area controllable slopes produce more relative headwind for the walkalong glider and not as much velocity is needed to sustain the surfer paper airplane (seeTumblewing Experiment: Paper mass Vs Ground Speed).

The surfer paper airplane is flown in a similar manner to other walkalong gliders. See the series of slides titled "Airflow Arond Controllable Slope", "Straight and Level Flight", "Climb" and "Turns" below.

Note the nose up trim which results in the up and down pitch oscillations of the surfer paper airplane when it is flying straight in the video (at 15 seconds into video). In the first turn, the plane stops the up and down oscillations because turns require more nose up trim (at 23 seconds into video):

Cutting off 0.75 inches from the trailing edge will lessen the phugoid oscillations when the paper airplane is flown straight and level. Alternatively, cutting off the trailling edge from each trailing edge to the base of the ballast will have the same effect (see indoor paper airplane walkalong glider instructable). Standard paper airplanes fly fast but not bad using large controllable slopes such as 75X100cm sheets of cardboard or foam core poster board.

Comments

[Paperworker99]

is smaller cardboard work too?

[walkalongaviation]

The size of the cardboard can be likened to the power of the aircraft engine, the larger the area the more wind is created. A good test of how efficient a glider design would be whether you can sustain it with your hands (or your head). The paper airplane designs are not very efficient (theirglide ratio is relatively low). The foam design has a much better glide ratio:

[The Jamalam]

So, you could act as though you were using telekenesis? That would be so cool!

[walkalongaviation]

telekenesis or not the attention required to fly using hands or head means no attention to where you're going!!!!!

[charleszxc]

u guys r confusing  oh and hey jamalam

[Paperworker99]

how could some body find a piece of cardboard that big!!!!

[walkalongaviation]

The cardboard used here used to contain a bicycle wheel. Larger area cardboard sheets are used to deliver new bicycles. Ask you local bike shop if they have any boxes they are recycling/throwing away.

[brokengun]

Nice! This reminds me of the paper planes that you can fly by holding your hand under them and walking.... they work on the updraft from your hands. Very cool and seems to work really well. Good work!

[walkalongaviation]

People are impressed with walkalong gliders but doubly so when they are flown with the hands. Alot of people were inspired by the Sci-Am Frontiers episode called flying free. There are also other videos of hand flying. But I think that walkalong glider is made from foam.