Book 3, Question 5
Why Do Paper Airplanes Fly?
Paper airplanes fly because they are simple gliders: your throw gives them speed and air over the wings gives them lift.
A paper plane is really a tiny wing that you throw. The paper is both the body and the wing, and your throw gives it speed. Air flows over the wide paper wings, and that helps the plane glide!
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Quick answers
Do paper planes feel the same forces as real ones?
Yes: thrust, weight, lift and drag.
Sources: NASA, Smithsonian, Scientific American
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 3
More fun facts
- Paper airplanes are the simplest gliders to build and fly.
- The same four forces act on a paper plane as on a real airplane: thrust, weight, lift and drag.
- A paper plane has no engine, so all of its starting speed comes from your throw.
- To fly, a paper plane must make enough lift to hold up its weight.
- The longer a paper plane keeps making lift, the farther it glides.
- Some people add paper clips to their paper planes to help them fly better.
- Folding small upright strips on the wings adds drag, which is a fun way to test how drag slows a plane down.
Sources: NASA, Smithsonian, Scientific American
Questions kids ask
Do paper airplanes fly the same way as real planes?
Yes. The same four forces, thrust, weight, lift and drag, act on both. The paper plane just gets its thrust from your throw instead of an engine.