Launch It: the Huffin' Hoopster

So, Launch It...hmmmm...

I've got a simple rocket I could do, or quite a good glider... but, which to do?

I know - I'll combine the two!

See the resulting video in step four.

Not breaking with my track record, you don't need much for this Instructable:

Paper, sticky tape (you can save hands if it's in a dispenser), scissors and a narrow tube of some kind (a drinking straw is perfect).

Cut a strip of paper from the end of the sheet (just a few centimetres wide), roll it into a tube around the straw and tape it in shape.

Make sure it's snug, but not so tight that it can't slip off the straw.

Fold the end of the tube over and tape it. The folded end of the tube will be the front of the Huffin' Hoopster.

When the Huffin' Hoopster starts gliding, it is a canard glider - the small wings go in front.

You need two rectangular strips of paper. The exact dimensions don't matter at this point, but one should be shorter and narrower than the other.

Roll both strips into hoops (so Hoopster) and fix with a small piece of tape.

Thread the fuselage through both the hoops (make sure the smaller hoop goes at the sealed end) and tape in place. You need to take care with the alignment of the hoops so that the glide-path is nice and straight.

Slip the Huffin' Hoopster back onto the straw, put the straw to your lips, point the HH skyward and blow.

This slightly revised version of the video is ve2vfd's fault...

Remember when I said that the dimensions of the wings weren't important?

They're not important to make a flying HH, but they're critical to making the best Huffin' Hoopster.

• Vary the dimensions of both wings to find the best configuration for a slow glider or a rapid dart.
• Change the positions of the two hoops to see what that does to the flight.
• Change the length of the fuselage to see what happens to the stability of the flight.
• Even change the number of hoops to see what that does.

And remember: if you're doing this scientifically, only change one thing at a time to make sure the test is fair; repeat each test several times to make sure your results are reliable; record everything clearly to make your conclusions clear.