Flight Distance Records
The Guinness rules for distance flown records are very similar to those for duration. The flights must be made indoors, and there can only be ten of them. Two independent scrutineers do the judging and measuring. The plane must be constructed from the same type of paper, with cuts and a small amount of tape allowed. But rejoining trimmed off pieces is prohibited.
The biggest difference from the duration rules is the way the plane is launched. It is thrown unaided by one person from behind a 32.8-foot (10-meter) wide line with a mark in the center. The thrower is allowed a 32.8-foot (10-meter) run up, but must not touch or cross the line until after the plane has been launched. No ramps or other aids are allowed, and the launch point may not be higher than the landing point.
The plane may not roll more than 4 times in flight. This is to prevent the use of tightly rolled paper darts that do not actually fly in a sustained and stable way. (Some contests do not require this, but if the record is for a flight, the plane should be able to fly!)
Several examples of John Collins’ “Suzanne” paper airplane, ready to make history for longest distance thrown. Photo courtesy of John Collins.
Former arena football quarterback, Joe Ayoob throwing John Collins’ “Suzanne” into the record books. Photo courtesy of John Collins.
The distance flown is measured in a straight line from the mark in the center of the launch line to the point where it first touches the ground or any other object. If the plane is aided by any object, the flight will either be measured to where the event occurred, or be declared a foul. Only one scrutineer is required to call a foul.
Authentication of the flight is to be made in the same way as for a duration record.
If your plane is record caliber, you will probably need several very long measuring tapes laid end to end. Draw or tape a line on the floor where the present record is, and you’ll know you have a record flight when your plane goes past it.
Wingspan Records
Another interesting Guinness record is that for the paper airplane with the largest wing-span capable of flying more than 50 feet (15.2 meters). It is much more difficult than you think, because your plane needs to be bigger than a Cessna to have a chance.
Like the other records, the flight must be made indoors. There are to be two scrutineers, and ten attempts are allowed.
The plane itself must be made from paper of no more than 150 gsm in weight, which is about twice as thick as copy paper. Glue can be used to join parts and laminate paper for main structural components, but it must not cover the wing itself. No materials other than paper and glue are allowed.
The wingspan is measured before the first flight.
The plane must be flown by one person, who may use a platform up to 10 feet (3 meters) tall. The thrower is allowed a 10 foot (3 meter) run-up to the throw, and must not leave the platform before releasing the plane. The plane must fly completely past a line drawn 50 feet from the edge of the platform. If the plane is aided by any object, the flight will either be measured to where the event occurred, or be declared a foul. Only one scrutineer is required to call a foul.
Authentication of the flight is to be made in the same way as for a duration record.
An example of a very large model airplane. There needs to be a delicate balance between weight and strength at this scale. Photo courtesy of Kakamigahara Aerospace Science Museum.
PAPER AIRPLANE RECORDS
What kinds of records are there for paper airplanes? Who has them now? What do you need to do to break them? It seems there’s more to getting a world record than just folding a plane and throwing it hard!
Long Flights Are Lofty Flights
How long do you think it takes for a paper airplane to fly across the room? It might seem long, but it really only takes about two seconds.
If a plane hits the far wall after two seconds in a classroom, how big a room do you need to be able to fly for the half-a-minute needed to break the record? A sports stadium, that’s how big!
Most of us don’t have regular access to that big a venue. So it turns out that most of the records set in recent years have been made as part of a larger event, either a national contest, or a TV show devoted to record breaking.
And how do the record breakers get such long flights? Andy Chip-ling, who wrote the Guinness rules for duration and distance, breaks it down this way: the design of the aircraft is 33%, skill at building it is another 33%, and throwing technique is 33% too. That leaves 1% to unknown chance and the smile of fortune! (Though, more likely, it’s up to humidity.)
The higher the plane starts its glide, the longer it will take to circle down to the floor. So the throw needs to be as close to vertical as possible, for maximum height. And as often as not, the best thrower gets the record.
It takes a lot of practice to get your form just right. At first the planes may crash and crumple. But they’re just paper, so don’t worry—fold up another, and stick with it!
| Flight Duration Records Over the Years | ||
| 1975 | 15.0 seconds | William Pryor, creating the category as well as the first record |
| 1983 | 16.9 seconds | Ken Blackburn, on November 29 with his “Old Bossy” design |
| 1987 | 17.2 seconds | Ken Blackburn, on July 28, as part of a record challenge TV show |
| 1994 | 18.8 seconds | Ken Blackburn, on February 17, with his “World Record Paper Airplane” |
| 1996 | 20.9 seconds | Chris Edge, on July 28, with his “White Flyer,” at the very same time as |
| Andy Currey, with his “Delta Belter” design, during a national contest | ||
| 1998 | 27.6 seconds | Ken Blackburn, on October 8, with the “World Record Paper Airplane” |
| 2009 | 27.9 seconds | Takuo Toda, on April 11, with his “Sky King” design |
| 2010 | 29.2 seconds | Takuo Toda, on December 19, with his “Zero Fighter” design |
| Who will be next? Will it be you? |
Getting to Know the Past Record Holders
For many years, the story of the time aloft record was the story of the rivalry between two outstanding pilots: Ken Blackburn and Takuo Toda. But it isn’t a big, dramatic, personal rivalry. It’s more of an endless determination by two superbly talented fliers to become, and remain, the best in the world.
Their planes are very different. Time aloft planes need to have the biggest wings possible while still having enough weight in the front to climb straight up and enough stiffness to survive the throw. Blackburn uses planes that are almost square, with no nose ahead of the leading edge and small triangular wingtip rudders. Toda uses planes with a more pointed nose, a belly-button flap under the wings, and a sturdy lock-fold holding the nose together. And they are much smaller, using only half a sheet of A4 paper. Toda’s planes, first the Sky King, and then the even more specialized Zero Fighter, have caught on with young contenders around the world because they are consistent and easy to adjust.
Blackburn uses ordinary copier paper for his record planes, but Toda uses a special bagasse paper, made from sugar cane pulp, that is exceptionally light and stiff. He tried more than 200 types of paper before finding it, and when he did, he cornered the market. The magic paper is his alone.