The paper plane is one of our simplest and most enduring inventions – although prior to the advent of planes, they were actually called “paper darts”.
But that’s not where the story starts. The origins of paper flight go back more than 2,000 years. The Chinese, who invented paper, also made kites that explored the physics of air. Later, Leonardo da Vinci sketched flying machines with folded paper models as prototypes. And, in the early 20th century, before powered flight was commonplace, the Wright brothers tested ideas with paper and cardboard gliders in their bicycle shop. Also, Jack Northrop, the co-founder of the Lockheed Corporation, used paper planes for tests in the early 1930s that led to the development of many of the planes and bombers that helped the Allied powers win World War II.
By the mid-20th century, paper planes had found their natural habitat – schools, offices and kitchen tables around the world. Their appeal lay in their accessibility. No special tools or materials required – just any piece of paper within reach.
In the 1980s and 1990s, paper planes reached new heights with the advent of more structured design approaches and competitions. Books, magazines and educational programs began to explore the science behind paper planes more rigorously, leading to a deeper understanding of aerodynamics and engineering principles.
Its mythology also grew. In 2012, American paper engineer John Collins, known as “The Paper Airplane Guy”, set a Guinness World Record for what at the time was the longest flight distance – 69.14 metres, or about three-quarters of a football field. His design, called Suzanne (named after his wife), was the result of years of experimentation, folding and aerodynamic tinkering. You can watch a video by Collins with detailed instructions of how to fold his world record setting paper airplane HERE and his entertaining 2018 TEDxMünchen talk HERE.
Subsequently, on 2 December 2022, a team of three Boing engineers – Dillon Ruble, Garrett Jensen and Nathan Erickson – flew a paper plane an official distance of 88.318 metres (289 feet 9 inches). The trio spent 500 hours studying origami [RR6] to create prototypes before settling on their final design. The record-breaking flight was indoors (to ensure no wind assistance) in Crown Point, Indiana, and the design followed the regulations (A4-size paper, max 100gsm paper weight). The team employed aerospace engineering techniques (computer simulations, prototype iterations) to optimise aerodynamic performance: wing shape, launch angle and internal structure.
Paper planes have also made their mark in art and pop culture. The title track of M.I.A.’s 2007 album Paper Planes turned the image into a metaphor for aspiration and escape. And in the Pixar short Paper Man, a lonely office worker sends folded messages of love across the city skyline. Even Google got in on the act with Paper Planes, an interactive global experiment that allowed users to “throw” virtual paper planes between smartphones.
The fascination endures because there’s something quite wonderful about a paper plane. Fold by fold, they teach symmetry, geometry and aerodynamics. There’s no algorithm to predict their path; a slight breeze or a bent tip can change everything, and gravity can only be defied for so long.
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References
wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_plane
popularmechanics.com/flight/drones/a44112898/history-of-paper-airplanes/
poweruptoys.com/blogs/news/a-quick-history-of-the-paper-airplane
mentalfloss.com/article/55397/which-came-first-airplanes-or-paper-airplanes
quora.com/Were-paper-airplanes-invented-before-or-after-mechanical-airplanes-were
Images
1. Photo by Abolfazl Ranjbar on Unsplash
2. Ancient Chinese paper kite flying
3.
Leonardo da Vinci's ornithopter design
4. Cassell's Complete Book of Sports and Pastimes, 1896
5. The four physical forces impacting paper planes
6. How to fold "Suzanne" by John Collins
7. Video: “Playing with the Box” John Collns, TEDxMünchen, 2018
8. Video: Paper Airplane Record, TechEBlog, 2023
9. Post for Paper Planes film, 2015
10. Video: Paperman Trailer, Walt Disney Animation Studios, 2013
11. A helicopter hoists a giant paper airplane into the sky. Photo credit: Pima Air & Space Museum
