How to Make the Super AeroScout Paper Airplane

Fast, long range and aerodynamic, the Super AeroScout paper airplane is an improved development of the AeroScout meant to make the aircraft comparable with the newer Super StratoScout and Jetstream to complement them.

Based on the successes of the Super StratoScout and Jetstream, I decided to design a variant of the AeroScout to accommodate the larger wing shared by the former two. A major reason for this resolution was the AeroScout's tail design, which differed from the others'. As I am always looking to give more choices to origami aviators, I set to work. Ultimately, modifications amounted to adding the larger wing and standardizing the usage of a staple. Flight testing showed the aircraft to be a nimble perfomer and so it was released for publication.

TAA USAF Designation: D438-1

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--12 full boxes apart (allow for a further box back behind the airframe). Use a ruler to make a straight line with the length of 12 boxes directly up 1 row of boxes from the two marks you just made. Then make the stabilizers, spars and counterweight as shown. To avoid confusion, one line you will cut along has been omitted from the photograph.

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. Once this is done, fold along the vertical dotted line then fold the airplane in half along the center crease once again. Fold along the dotted horizontal lines then tape where indicated.

After making the necessary taping, cut away the portion of the rear fuselage below the diagonal line. Then apply one staple in the area of the counterweight.

Cut out and unfold your Super AeroScout's wings. Once this is done, align the airframe with the wing and secure the wings to the spars with tape. Cutoff all excess tape and tape the leading edge of the wing to the leading edge root extension at its joint as pictured. This will complete your aircraft.

The Super AeroScout cruises quickly while maintaining an excellent glide ratio; origami aviators with experience with similar AeroScout, Super StratoScout or Jetstream should be able to easily transition to the this aircraft.

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, air brakes and trimmable rudders. Enjoy!