How to Fine-Tune Your Origami Airplane

After you have finished making your origami airplane, you should take a moment to study it head-on. What you want to look for is unformity on both sides of fuselage. Both wings should be of the same thickness and line up with the fuselage at the same angle. The reason for this is simple. If you want the plane to fly perfectly straight, which it is capable of doing when properly balanced, the air must pass over the same wing area on both sides to maintain aneutral direction. If the plane is not equal on both sides, that will definitely affect the line of flight.
Again,check the plane head-on. If one wing appears larger than the other,recrease the larger wing with your fingers until you have reduced the size to that of the opposite wing.


Tune wing pocket

1. Does the plane develop enough lift?
Perhaps you are not throwing the plane hard enough. If it took a nosedive, try throwing it with more force. If the plane sinks too rapidly, try increasing the pockets in the wings slightly. You can do this as follws: Hold the rudder with one hand. Then take hold of the fuselage on the opposite side with your other hand. Now pull the two section apart slightly. If you pull them too far apart, just push them together.
Now make another test flight. The wings should now produce sufficient lift.

2. Does the plane climb too quickly?
If so, make sure that you have inserted a paper clip in the nose, because the plane needs forward weight to carry it ahead. If it stillclimbs too sharply, you will have to reduce the depth of the pockets in both wings, because they are producing too much lift. Try recreasing both wings, because they are producing too much lift. Try recreasing both wings, starting at the leading edges, with your fingers.

Bibliography (2)


Tune elevon

1, If the nose drops and the plane dives into the ground, bend up the elevons that the back of the wings. A little bend goes a long way.

2, If the nose rises first and then drops, the plane is stalling.
Bend down elevons the back of the wings. Keep your adjustments small.

ELEVONS: The elevons,combining the functions of elevators and aileons, are used also as flaps.


Bibliography (1)


Last update Aug.12,2002

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