Contents
Welcome to the World of High-Performance Paper Airplanes
Adjusting and Flying Your Planes
How to Achieve Better Performance
WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE PAPER AIRPLANES
Years ago, when I was about ten, I found an amazing paper airplane book at the library. It was by Yasuaki Ninomiya, and it was filled with planes that were made with paper and scissors instead of just folding. They looked like planes, and they flew great. I made every plane in the book, and then tried designing my own. I even wrote to Dr. Ninomiya to trade designs, and he sent back a couple of his Japanese books.
My planes flew well enough, but I had a problem. The planes in the book had hooks for flying with a catapult, but my paper was too flimsy to stand up to the rigorous launches. How were they flown? I really struggled.
Many years later, when I first moved to Japan, I got in touch with Dr. Ninomiya again, and he invited me to the park where he flew planes with his friends. When I got there, everyone was shooting their planes 40 or 50 yards into the air, and far from a two-second glide across the living room, they were circling way up at the limits of visibility for 30 seconds, a minute, two minutes at a time!
I was hooked.
The planes in this kit are among the best I’ve designed over the years. Most of them are capable of flying more than 30 seconds, and some, like Grasslands, are always in danger of disappearing altogether. Once you try these, you’ll be hooked too!
Take care building these planes, make sure they’re straight, work up to high launches a bit at a time, and you should enjoy years of great flights. And do try designing your own high-performance paper airplanes! A hint: use thick paper. Otherwise, your imagination is the only limit.
Happy flying!
Andrew Dewar
Tools & Techniques
Using a ruler
Use a ruler when you fold the paper. This will give you crisp, straight creases without weakening the paper.
“Training” the paper to bend
Where the paper is curved, gently bend it with your fingers to “train” it before gluing. This will preserve its spring and prevent buckling and creasing.
Using a toothpick to roll the ballast
Use a toothpick to help you roll up ballast. Roll the paper tightly around the toothpick, fasten the very end with a drop of glue, and pull out the toothpick.
A guide to symbols used
Use a knife to cut parts loose
You can push out the larger parts with your fingers, but the paper will be less likely to crease or tear if you use a craft knife to cut them loose. Cut slits carefully with scissors.
Trim away the flashing