How to fold a record-breaking paper plane: Maker reveals aerodynamic secrets - and   offers $1,000 to anyone who can fly his design further than him


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Using a series of simple folds and some carefully placed tape, a paper plane can exceed distances of 226ft (69 metres).

That is the current world record, held by John Collins and Joe Ayoob using a design the pair call 'Suzanne.'

To put this into perspective, this distance is further than eight double decker buses lined up in a row - and now Mr Collins has created a video to show how Suzanne is made.

In addition to revealing insider tips and tricks, Mr Collins is offering $1,000 (£665) to anyone who can build a paper plane using these instructions and beat his record.

Scroll down for video and instructions 

John Collins and Joe Ayoob hold the record for the farthest flight by a paper aircraft. Their 'Suzanne' model flew 226 feet 10 inches (69.14 metres) on 26 February 2012 at McClellan Air Force Base in California. Mr Collins has released a video (pictured) that shows how to make this model with folds and tape positions

John Collins and Joe Ayoob hold the record for the farthest flight by a paper aircraft. Their 'Suzanne' model flew 226 feet 10 inches (69.14 metres) on 26 February 2012 at McClellan Air Force Base in California. Mr Collins has released a video (pictured) that shows how to make this model with folds and tape positions

The video has been released to coincide with Mr Collins' Kickstarter campaign. 

Mr Collins wants to launch a national paper plane contest in the US and is seeking funding for the contest's website. 

The campaign launched yesterday and has raised a little over $961 (£639) of its $20,000 (£13,300) target. It runs until 4 March. 

Mr Collins and Mr Ayoob officially hold the Guinness World Record for the farthest flight by a paper aircraft.

Their 'Suzanne' model flew 226 feet 10 inches (69.14 metres) on 26 February 2012 at McClellan Air Force Base in California. 

In the video, Mr Collins suggests using A4 100gsm laser paper. He also advises holding up the paper in front of a light to check for scars and marks that could impact the plane's performance. The folding was done on a sheet of glass and Mr Collins said that the surface has to be 'at least as smooth as the paper'

In the video, Mr Collins suggests using A4 100gsm laser paper. He also advises holding up the paper in front of a light to check for scars and marks that could impact the plane's performance. The folding was done on a sheet of glass and Mr Collins said that the surface has to be 'at least as smooth as the paper'

In the video, Mr Collins suggests using A4 100gsm laser paper. GSM stands for grams per square metre.

He also advises holding the piece of paper in front of a light to check for scars and marks that could impact the plane's performance.

Heating the paper in front of a lightbulb will also cause it to curve in a certain direction, and Mr Collins said to place and fold the paper in the opposite direction to the curve.

The paper used in the video is Conqueror CX22 Diamond White 100gsm A4, and the folding was done on a sheet of glass. Mr Collins said the surface has to be 'at least as smooth as the paper'.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR A RECORD-BREAKING PAPER PLANE

Step 1: Smooth out the paper and make a diagonal line by folding the top right-hand corner to meet the left-hand long edge. Line up the edges accurately.

Mr Collins suggests sharpening the creases with a ruler, or a tool called a Folding Bone.

Step 2: Unfold this crease, and repeat the step for the opposite side moving the top left-hand corner to the right edge.

Step 3: Unfold the crease. Take the long edge on the right-hand side and line it up against the diagonal running from the top left-hand corner. Mr Collins said to leave around a millimetre distance from the crease to prevent the edges 'bunching' up when the plane is finished.

Flatten creases throughout.

Step 4: Repeat this step for the left-hand long edge, taking care to make it as symmetrical as possible. Unfold both, and then fold back in again.

Step 5: Fold the top point down so the creases on the back of the paper line up with the folds on the front, keeping the layers as flat as possible.

Step 6: Following the long crease either side of the piece of paper, fold the top right-hand corner into the centre, and repeat on the left-hand side.

Unfold both, and then fold together so the layers bunch in the same way, and the corners meet in the centre.

Step 7: Pick up the paper and fold it in the centre, to form the nose, before taking time to line up the 'tail feathers' on the top. Make the long crease on the plane once happy with how the sides and corners are aligned. Sharpen all the edges and creases.

Clip the plane to hold it in place, and with a 30mm long strip of 25mm by 35mm tape (pictured), secure the plane's shape at various points

Clip the plane to hold it in place, and with a 30mm long strip of 25mm by 35mm tape (pictured), secure the plane's shape at various points

Step 8: Make the wings by folding the paper around 3mm up from the nose, keeping the layer below in place using a thumb. The long edge of the wing should line up with the bottom right-hand corner - not the bottom edge.

Flip the paper over and repeat on the other side. Smoothing the creases and 'squashing' the nose.

Step 9: Clip the plane to hold it in place, and with a 30mm long strip of 25mm by 35mm tape squared off at the edges, secure the plane's shape. 

 - Cut two 2mm strips of tape. Place each piece on the two vertical edges beneath each wing, folded in half so one strip secures both sides at each point.

- The next tape strip is 3mm wide, and this holds the nose and fuselage together. 

Take a small square to secure the top of the nose, place half of the remaining strip, cut vertically, on the front of the nose to secure the layers, and place the other half about a third of the way up to lock the nose in place.

- Cut another 2mm strip, cut it in half and secure each side of the wings on the underneath of the plane. The tape should be placed 30mm up from where the underneath layer hits the wing.

- Cut another strip and place it vertically on the rear of the plane, at the top and bottom. Each half of the same strip sits on each side of the tail.

- Take another strip and place it horizontally across the top of the tail, to secure the wings.

- Flip the plane over and place a 2mm strip on each underside of the short edge of the wings, where the layers meet in the centre, and at the edge of the plane.

Take a piece of card, cut with a point with an angle of 155 degrees. Measure another angle on the card at 165 degrees (pictured). Use this to check the wing angle, or dihedral, of the paper plane 

Take a piece of card, cut with a point with an angle of 155 degrees. Measure another angle on the card at 165 degrees (pictured). Use this to check the wing angle, or dihedral, of the paper plane 

Step 10: Flatten the tape and folds once more, using the edge of the table. Take a piece of card, cut with a point with an angle of 155 degrees. Measure another angle on the card at 165 degrees.

Use this to check the wing angle, or dihedral, of the paper plane. 

The rear of the plane should raise at 165 degrees, the tip of the plane should be 155 degrees, and the nose should be 165 degrees.

Final step:  After checking the dihedral, cut the last piece of tape in two.

Place one across the nose, on the top of the plane, and place the second piece about 10mm behind it. 

Begin by smoothing out the paper and making a diagonal line by folding the top right-hand corner to meet the left-hand long edge. Line up the edges accurately. 

Unfold this crease, and repeat the step for the opposite side moving the top left-hand corner to the right edge.

Take the long edge on the right-hand side and line it up against the diagonal running from the top left-hand corner.

Begin by smoothing out the paper and making a diagonal line by folding the top right-hand corner to meet the left-hand long edge. Repeat for the other side. Take the long edge on the right-hand side and line it up against the diagonal crease from the top left-hand corner. Repeat, then fold down the top (pictured)

Begin by smoothing out the paper and making a diagonal line by folding the top right-hand corner to meet the left-hand long edge. Repeat for the other side. Take the long edge on the right-hand side and line it up against the diagonal crease from the top left-hand corner. Repeat, then fold down the top (pictured)

Pick up the paper and fold it in the centre, to form the nose, before taking time to line up the 'tail feathers' on the top. Make the long crease on the plane once happy with how the sides and corners are aligned. Sharpen all the edges and creases using a ruler, or a tool called a Folding Bone (pictured top right)

Pick up the paper and fold it in the centre, to form the nose, before taking time to line up the 'tail feathers' on the top. Make the long crease on the plane once happy with how the sides and corners are aligned. Sharpen all the edges and creases using a ruler, or a tool called a Folding Bone (pictured top right)

Repeat this step for the left-hand long edge, taking care to make it as symmetrical as possible.

Fold the top point down so the creases on the back of the paper line up with the folds on the front, keeping the layers as flat as possible.

Following the long crease either side of the piece of paper, fold the top right-hand corner into the centre, and repeat on the left-hand side.

WHAT IS DIHEDRAL ANGLE? 

The successful flight of the Suzanne plane depends on its wing dihedral.

Wing dihedral is the name for the upward angle of an aircraft's wing and is measured from the wing root to the wing tip.

The amount of dihedral determines how stable the plane is along the roll axis, but the larger the dihedral, the less lift the plane has. A higher dihedral also increases drag.

Most large airliner wings are designed with dihedral.

On low-wing aircraft, for example, the centre of gravity is above the wing meaning roll stability is lower, so a higher dihedral is needed. 

By comparison, high-wing aircraft have a centre of gravity below the wing, so are more stable and therefore require less dihedral.

Fighter planes have no dihedral and some fighter aircraft have the wing tips lower than the roots, giving the aircraft a high roll rate.

This makes them highly manouverable, and this negative dihedral angle is called anhedral.

Unfold both, and then fold together so the layers bunch in the same way, and the corners meet in the centre.

Pick up the paper and fold it in the centre, to form the nose, before taking time to line up the 'tail feathers' on the top. 

Make the long crease on the plane once happy with how the sides and corners are aligned. Sharpen all the edges and creases.

Make the wings by folding the paper around 3mm up from the nose, keeping the layer below in place using a thumb. 

The long edge of the wing should line up with the bottom right-hand corner - not the bottom edge.

Flip the paper over and repeat on the other side. Smoothing the creases and 'squashing' the nose.

Clip the plane to hold it in place, and using a 30mm long piece 25mm by 35mm tape squared off at the edges, secure the plane's shape.

Take a piece of card, cut with a point with an angle of 155 degrees. Measure another angle on the card at 165 degrees.

The rear of the plane should raise at 165 degrees, the tip of the plane should be 155 degrees, and the nose should be 165 degrees.

'The air is going to boil off the wings at different points during the flight, depending on how fast the plane is going,' said Mr Collins.

'And you want the air to release close to the nose, at low dihedral, and release at the wings at higher dihedral, so you want more tilt up as the air adheres further back on the wing.'

The only step that is missing from the video is how to throw the plane, but as Mr Collins explained: 'Every paper airplane throw is a little science experiment: a guess at how an adjustment will work, an experiment called a throw, instant results and analysis.' 

The rear of the plane should raise at 165 degrees, the tip of the plane should be 155 degrees, and the nose should be 165 degrees. 'The air is going to boil off the wings at different points, and you want the air to release close to the nose, at low dihedral, and release at the wings at higher dihedral', said Mr Collins

The rear of the plane should raise at 165 degrees, the tip of the plane should be 155 degrees, and the nose should be 165 degrees. 'The air is going to boil off the wings at different points, and you want the air to release close to the nose, at low dihedral, and release at the wings at higher dihedral', said Mr Collins

Fighter planes (AV-8B Harrier II pictured) typically have no dihedral and some fighter aircraft have the wing tips lower than the roots, giving the aircraft a high roll rate. This makes them highly manouverable, and this negative dihedral angle is called anhedral

Fighter planes (AV-8B Harrier II pictured) typically have no dihedral and some fighter aircraft have the wing tips lower than the roots, giving the aircraft a high roll rate. This makes them highly manouverable, and this negative dihedral angle is called anhedral



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