Make a Super PaperJet and Fly Over a 5-story Building

The Super PaperJet is a paper airplane that can fly over a 5-story building. It's launched with a rubber band.

The construction is really simple, you just need:

- A sheet of paper (letter or A4 size)

- A knife and cutting board (or scissors)

- A rubber band

Let's get started!

Start by folding the sheet of paper in half width-wise, and cut it in two pieces. We just need one of them.

Open the paper back up and fold the top two corners inward. Keeping a little gap where they meet along the crease will help the folding later and keep the paper layers flat.

Fold both sides so the corners meet again in the center line.

Repeat the folding of both sides to the center line. This starts looking like a very fast jet!

To shape the wings keep the plane folded along the crease, and fold along a line parallel to the bottom edge of the plane.

To cut the anchor where the rubber band will hook into, I'd recommend using a knife. You can use scissors too, you just need to be careful so the to cuts meet in one sharp point, otherwise the rubber band may get stuck in it.

Choosing the right rubber is key to get your Super PaperJet fly very far. For maximum reach, we want the rubber band to be long, with good stretch and strength. Try stretching the rubber band - if it returns to the same length that's good, if it becomes longer after the stretch that's not good.

You can also use a longer rubber band, e.g. from a file folder. That's what I was using at school and I was close to reach the length of a soccer field!

You can experiment with this, but that's my choice on using the rubber band:

- Create a triangle with the pinkie, the index finger and the thumb.

- Stretch the rubber band from the pinkie.

- Pass the rubber band around the index finger and the thumb.

This way there is not rubber on the way of the plane, and all the length and strength of the rubber band is on the plane side.

Find an open space for the test launch so you get a sense of how fast and far this plane can go - a park, a baseball field, etc.

If you think you've got a Super PaperJet that can beat the record, make a video and post it to the comments!