How to Make the AeroHornet Paper Airplane

The AeroHornet is a simplified stunt variant of the paper F/A-18 Hornet replica, which was designed by papercrafter408. The two are very closely related; the AeroHornet being less advanced than the replica. Conversions are possible because of this commonality.

I designed the AeroHornet around the time the replica was posted to fill the need for a small stunt airplane. At the time however, I was also looking at other projects that I judged to be more important, and so I did not allot an instructable to the AeroHornet at that time. More recently however, I decided to roll out the AeroHornet to break the repetitious cycle of my posts somewhat. I recalled the AeroHornet performed well and I decided to make an instructable for it.

TAA USAF Designation: D239-1

Step 1: Materials

Required:
1 Piece of 8 by 10.5 inch graph paper
Tape
Scissors
Ruler
Pencil

Step 2: Begin Construction

Start construction of your AeroHornet by sketching out the design featured in the first picture. The graph paper this is made on should have one set of boxes folded in half at its crease. The fuselage is 14 boxes in length and has a counterweight of 3 by 2 boxes. One box from the rear of the fuselage, make a solid line along the graph line 0.5 boxes above the crease that stretches 3 boxes forward. Then 2.5 boxes inwards from the rear of the fuselage, make a dotted vertical line. The layout of the lines is complex, so it is easier to show than explain. Then cut it out.

Once the fuselage has been laid out, begin marking out the wings. For the wing, make two marks four boxes apart. The chord should decay one box every three boxes away from the root. The trailing edge should have a decay of chord of 0.5 boxes every 9 boxes. Once you have marked each of these surfaces out, you may cut them out.

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 find the dotted vertical line 0.625 inches forward if the rear of the airplane. Fold it and make a cut along the solid line made along the fuselage. Unfold after making this cut and begin folding along other dotted lines. Fold counterweight down into itself and then into the fuselage; and the tail fins along their two sets of dotted lines. Then unfold and tape where shown and directed to.

Step 4: Applying the Wings

Unfold your wings and align your airframe above it. The spars should be over the second row from the chord when tape is applied. Excess that hangs over the leading and/or trailing edges should be trimmed. Tape should also be applied to the underside of the wing where the vertical stabilizer mounts connect.

Step 5: Flight

The AeroHornet is a straightforward aircraft, and should be easy to fly, especially for those with experience flying the F/A-18 replica. In order to maintain pitch control, you may need to add elevons. (Note a photograph displaying such surfaces will follow, but is currently unavailable due to equipment malfunction. Sorry!) Launches should be made at neutral or positive attitudes, at medium to high speeds. Additional applicable surfaces include ailerons, flaps, spoilers, spoilerons, rudders and air brakes. Enjoy!