How to Make the AeroMosquito Paper Airplane

Fast, long range and very small, the AeroMosquito is a miniature "drone fighter" paper airplane optimized for high speed flight with high accuracy and simplicity. It is meant to complement other similar airplanes like the Fang and StarAsteroid.

I developed the AeroMosquito when I found myself with a very small remnant of materials from one sheet of graph paper--too small for most of my other designs. Rather than recycle the paper, I decided to toy around with it. I designed the aircraft to accommodate canards and a simple vertical fin, with a slit for a mid-mounted wing. I selected a small, tapered straight wing which I could see would give the new aircraft a conventional canard and wing configuration that would leave the aircraft almost with a "tandem" configuration. Anticipating good results, I began flight testing the design. The AeroMosquito proved itself fast and stable in trials, flying like a dart where it was pointed. It was a pleasing result for an aircraft that almost never was.

TAA USAF Designation: D397-1

Step 1: Materials

Required:
1 Piece of 8 by 10.5 inch graph paper

Scissors

Ruler

Tape

Pencil

Stapler

Step 2: Begin Construction

Fold your paper in half so that half a box is at the crease line. Make two marks 8 boxes from one another and mark out the fuselage as shown. The counterweight should be made as a 2 by 3 rectangle, with canards and the vertical stabilizer behind it.. Measure 1 box forward along the half box line, 3 boxes forward.

After the fuselage is made, take another sheet of paper that is folded in half along the lines of boxes. Mark out the wing as shown (a leading edge sweep of 1 boxes of chord eliminated every 3 boxes of span, and a trailing edge of 1 box of chord eliminated every 3 boxes of span).

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 the fueslage. Cut off the overhanging portions as noted, then cut the extra vertical fin off. Once this is done, fold along the vertical dotted line and cut along the solid horizontal line. Once the cut has been made, undo the fold and tape where designated.

Step 4: Applying the Wings; Stapling

Cut out the wings, and then fold down the wingtips as shown. Pull the wing through the slit in the fuselage, then apply tape. Apply one staple in the area of the counterweight. Flatten the wings and canards to where they have no anhedral deflection. This will complete your aircraft.

Step 5: Flight

The AeroMosquito flies very much like a true dart and the aircraft will tend to fly where it is launched at at high speed. Launches should be at neutral or positive attitudes at medium to high speed. With launches done at a positive attitude, launch speed should be increased (range may be reduced). Additional applicable surfaces include elevators, ailerons, elevons, air brakes and a trimmable rudder. Enjoy!