Do Soda Can Airplanes FLY? Homemade DIY Soda Can Glider Takes FLIGHT!

We made this cool soda can Glider based off of some key principals of flight. This glider features basic working flaps, as well as canards, which when angled properly will allow this glider to soar up to SIXTY feet or more when thrown properly!

A foam roller with a 2cm diameter

A 2 inch pencil end with eraser

a screw eye (eye approx. 3/8 inch)

8-10 clean, undented soda cans

Nerf Gun Foam bullet for canopy

To make the nose weight for our glider, we first need to twist the screw eye into the eraser head of our 2 inch pencil piece as shown.

Dab glue into the end of the foam roller, then slide the pencil through it until the eraser head is flush with the front edge of the foam roller.

Use the template provided to cut out the forward fuselage piece out of your soda cans.

Roll the forward fuselage around the foam roller nose weight as shown. Dab glue along the edge of the can then roll and hold to complete the piece.

Use the template provided to trace and cut out the rear fuselage piece. Roll the rear fuselage piece so that the front end has a snug fit into the rear of the forward fuselage piece. Roll the end of the rear fuselage narrower than the front so your glider's fuselage is more streamlined.

Dab glue along the edge of the rear fuselage then roll and hold. Now dab glue into the rear end of the forward fuselage and glue the two pieces together as shown.

Use the template provided to trace and cut out a top and bottom piece for the first wing. Glue the two halves together as shown. Repeat to make the remaining wing.

As shown in the photos, cut out a rectangular strip of can and fold in half lengthwise to form an 'L' bracket. Position the bracket on the underside of the leading edge of the wing and trim it even with the leading edge. Glue the bracket in position as shown in the sixth photo. Round the upper part of the bracket to fit the fuselage, then glue into position on the forward fuselage.

Cut out another rectangular strip of can and fold in half lengthwise to form an 'L' bracket. Position this piece on the trailing edge of the wing and the rear fuselage as shown in the photos. After rounding the piece, glue the support bracket into position as shown. Repeat Steps 8 and 9 to attach the remaining wing. Add support 'L' brackets to the underside of each wing for added durability.

Use the template provided to trace and cut out a left and right side of the vertical tail. Use your straight edge to create an 'L' bracket for each tail piece. Glue the bracket to the inside surface of each side then glue both sides together. Glue the vertical tail to the rear of the fuselage as shown. As seen in the last photo, craft a canopy from a nerf foam bullet and glue it at the front of the fuselage as shown.

Use the template provided to trace and cut out a top and bottom piece for each canard. Create an 'L' bracket for each canard piece then glue them to the inside surface as shown. Glue the two halves of the canard together. Repeat the above steps to create the second canard. Glue both canards to the fuselage approximately 1cm in front of the wings as shown.

Cut a narrow strip of can for the glider grip as shown. Fold the piece in half then use a ruler or straight edge to bend back two connecting strips to attach the grip to the bottom of the fuselage. As shown in the fourth photo glue the middle section together, then use a rounding tool to round the connecting tabs to the shape of the fuselage. Glue the grip the the bottom edge of the forward fuselage piece where it meets the rear fuselage piece. Finally, reinforce the grip by folding over another strip of can and gluing it over top of the grip piece as shown.

To make the flaps, cut out a strip of can as shown, then fold it in half lengthwise. Trim the flap to the length of the trailing edge of the wings, then glue each flap to the underside of the wing as shown. Repeat the same steps to create and install the remaining flap.

Flight Tips: Always check your flap angle. Flaps angled at forty-five degree or higher may cause stalls or tight turns depending on canard angle. For long distance flights angle the flaps down slightly. Canard position; we found the glider flew best with these fins slightly angled up then bent as shown. We used a ruler to carefully bend the tips as indicated. After each flight check the position of the nose weight. You may have to pull the screw eye foam roller flush with the forward fuselage after each flight. Using these tips, we were able to make consistent flights of up to sixty feet with our soda can glider. Happy flying!