How to Make the AeroCirrus Paper Airplane

Fast, small and highly aerodynamic, the AeroCirrus is a simple "drone cruiser" paper airplane meant as a complement to the similar Simple Cirrus.

The AeroCirrus was developed from the Fireflyto use its simpler, sparless wing. This design was simpler than the high wing design of the Simple Cirrus and so I decided that in the pursuit of simplicity, the development of a cruiser with this feature would be worthy. With the change in wing placement, the leading edge root extensions that accompanied the spars on the Cirrus series were also deleted. Flight testing proved the very conventional design was a good and nimble performer well suited to its intended goals and publication was greenlit.

TAA USAF Designation: D420-1

Step 1: Materials

Required:
1 Piece of 8 by 10.5 inch graph paper

Scissors

Ruler

Tape

Pencil

Stapler

Step 2: Begin Construction

First, begin by folding your your graph paper in half (excluding three boxes on the perforated side). Once the paper has been folded appropriately, make two marks--10 full boxes apart (allow for a further box back behind the airframe). Use a ruler to make a straight line with the length of 10 boxes directly up 1 row of boxes from the two marks you just made. Then make the stabilizers, spars and counterweight as shown. The airframe should appear as it does in the first photograph when you have completed its layout.

After the fuselage is made, take another sheet of paper that is folded in half along the lines of boxes. Mark out the wings as shown (3 box in length, with the leading edges eliminating 1 box of chord eliminated every 4 boxes of span from the fuselage, swept backward; with the trailing edge, 1 box of chord eliminated every 4 boxes of span, swept forward). Measure 0.5 boxes from the wingtip and make a dotted line parallel to the fold.

Solid lines indicate places to cut. Dotted lines indicate fold lines.

Note: 1 box = 0.25 inches

Step 3: Making the Fuselage

Cut out your fuselage and fold its counterweights into place. Cut along the solid lines of the tail then cut away the portion shown. After doing this, fold the fin forward along the dotted line. Fold along the dotted vertical line in the center of the fuselage and then cut along the solid horizontal line. After making the cut, unfold the fuselage and apply tape where designated. Fold the horizontal stabilizers down afterward.

Step 4: Applying the Wings; Stapling

Slide the wings through the fuselage slit and then tape them into position when their half crease is inside the fuselage. Fold the winglets down on each side at the dotted lines. Apply one staple in the area of the counterweight. Fold the wings down at the fuselage as shown. This will complete the AeroCirrus.

Step 5: Flight

The AeroCirrus is predictable in its handling and can be flown quite easily. Origami aviators with experience with other miniature paper airplanes should have little trouble transitioning to this type; those entirely new should be able to quickly find their tune with it as well.

Launches should be done at moderate speeds at neutral or positive attitudes. Additional surfaces include flaps, ailerons, elevators and a trimmable rudder. Enjoy!