How to Make the Greyhound Paper Airplane

Fast, long range and small, the Greyhound is a miniature "drone cruiser" paper airplane developed from the Super StratoScout, with modifications made to improve high speed stability.

The Greyhound was derived from the Super StratoScout to improve handling at high speed. Although the forward fuselage and wing design were not altered changed from the Super StratoScout's layout, the horizontal and vertical stabilizer designs were reworked for Greyhound. To improve performance, the stabilizers were redesigned to use the configuration developed for the SkyTomahawk. In flight testing, the alterations were shown to improve high speed stability, as was desired. As a result, the Greyhound was approved for release.

TAA USAF Designation: D426-1

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 (2 boxes of chord at the root, by 6 boxes in width, with a leading edge sweep of 2 boxes of chord eliminated every 5 boxes away from the fuselage root (past the inboard most box) and a trailing edge sweep of 1 box of chord every 6 boxes from the root). Then cut the wing out.

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 in the area of the counterweight as noted in the photograph.

Cut out your Greyhound'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 Greyhound.

The Greyhound is a sleek flier that can glide fairly long distances; stability in flight is excellent even at very high speeds, owing to its large stabilizers. At slower speeds, handling is comparable to the Super StratoScout. Any origami aviators with experience with the Super StratoScout should be able to easily transition to the Greyhound.

Launches should be done at neutral or positive attitudes at moderate to high speeds. Test flights should be conducted to see what trim (if any) is required. Additional applicable surfaces include ailerons, elevators, flaps and a trimmable rudder. Enjoy!