How to Make the Gannet Paper Airplane

Quick, long range and stable, the Gannet is a miniature glider paper airplane designed to work for even the newest origami aviators. The Gannet is designed to succeed the similar SkyTomahawk.

Following the development of the Greyhound, I decided to develop a new straight wing drone cruiser. The objective of this new design, versus older ones, was increased commonality with newer, more advanced types while still providing performance accommodations to make the plane easy to handle. The new aircraft retained the Greyhound's airframe design (which, with its large stabilizers, was well suited and for new origami aviators) and relied upon the popular wing design used by many popular miniature planes of the past--including the SkyTomahawk.

TAA USAF Designation: D427-1

Required:
1 Piece of 8 by 10.5 inch graph paper

Tape

Scissors

Ruler

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--13 full boxes apart (allow for a further box back behind the airframe). Use a ruler to make a straight line with the length of 13 boxes directly up 1 row of boxes from the two marks you just made. Then make the stabilizers, spars and counterweight as shown.

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 its counterweights into place. Cut along the solid lines and cut off the left fin at the bisected solid line as shown. Once this is done, fold along the vertical dotted line then fold the airplane in half along the center crease once again. Fold the spars down along the dotted horizontal lines then tape where indicated.

After the taping is done, cut the rear fuselage away below the diagonal line. Fold the horizontal stabilizers and the ventral vertical stabilizers down then apply one staple from each side in the area of the counterweight as noted in the photograph.

Cut out your Gannet's wings and lay them beneath the fuselage. Apply tape where designated to secure them to the fuselage. Apply tape to the LERX joint where noted. This will complete your Gannet.

The Gannet is extremely docile in flight. The aircraft will tend to fly where it is pointed with little deviation. Even the newest of origami aviators should find the Gannet an easy aircraft to come to terms with.

Launches should be conducted at neutral or positive attitude at moderate speed. Test flights should be conducted to see what trimming (if any) is necessary. Additional applicable surfaces include flaps, ailerons, elevators and trimmable rudders. Enjoy!