How to Make the Traveler Paper Airplane

Fast, long range and very aerodynamic, the Traveler is a sleek, miniature "drone cruiser" paper airplane meant to succeed older aircraft like the StratoCruiser.

The Traveler was designed as a successor to airplanes such as the StratoCruiser, which featured a T-tail. While this design ensures stability, its greater surface area also creates more drag than an alternative V-tail (butterfly tail) design would. Remembering the success of the Skynaut and Super Skynaut, I decided to again revisit butterfly tails as a way of reducing drag and complexity to make the design more capable and simpler. To ease construction difficulty, the Traveler retains the same wing design as the StratoCruiser. In flight testing, the aircraft proved itself a stable and fast flier, and was approved for publication quickly.

TAA USAF Designation: D365-1

Required:
1 Piece of 8 by 10.5 inch graph paper

Scissors

Ruler

Tape

Pencil

Stapler

First, begin by folding your your graph paper in half (excluding three boxes on the perforated side). Once the paper has been folded appropriately, make two marks--11 full boxes apart (allow for a further box back behind the airframe). Use a ruler to make a straight line with the length of 11 boxes directly up 1 row of boxes from the two marks you just made. Then make the stabilizers, spars and counterweight as shown. Make the diagonal line on the ventral fuselage as shown and follow all photograph markings.

After the fuselage is made, take another sheet of paper that is folded in half along the lines of boxes. Mark out the wing as shown (1 box of constant chord at the root; a leading edge sweep of 1 box of chord decaying every 4 boxes outward from the constant chord box; and a trailing edge sweep of 1 box of decay along the 5 boxes of wingspan). This will complete the wings.

Solid lines indicate places to cut. Dotted lines indicate fold lines.

Note: 1 box = 0.25 inches

Cut out your fuselage and fold the counterweight into the fuselage. Fold down the horizontal stabilizers, landing gear and spars. Once this is done, apply tape where designated. After taping all noted points, cut where shown.

Cut out and unfold your Traveler's wings. Once this is done, align the airframe with the wing and secure the wings to the spars with tape. Apply tape to the leading edge of the wing at its intersection with the LERX then apply one staple in the area of the counterweight as directed. This will complete your aircraft.

The Traveler is a simple paper airplane and handles with great docility. Launches should be done at moderate speed at neutral attitude. The angle between the stabilizers should be just under 90 degrees. Test flights should be conducted to verify and maintain the angle of the stabilizers. Additional applicable surfaces include slats, flaps, flaperons, elevators, ailerons, spoilers, spoilerons, air brakes and a trimmable rudder. Enjoy!