The Art and Science of Paper Planes

October 20, 2009

 

My late godfather (not the mafia boss!) was a commercial pilot and used to send me trinkets he collected from the countries he goes to. He was among the few people who influenced me to love the social sciences, especially geography. Though I never considered a career in flight, I always dreamed of reaching for the skies. When I turned twelve, he sent me several books on paper folding, and that became the start of my passion with the different paper folding arts, among them paper plane folding. I was quite old for paper planes and I ran (or rather, crashed) into a series of unfortunate events with my teachers. Probably that’s because old teachers believe that paper plane aficionados are not the type who will pass exams with flying colors. I beg to disagree. A paper plane is more than every teacher’s nightmare.

 

Prof. X, classmates, allow me to defend my passion, the art and science of paper planes.

 

Paper planes are works of art with their origins in China. No, the Chinese weren’t the first people to invent the airplane, but they were the first to make paper. Chinese paper made its way to Japan where, combined with religion, it blossomed to the uniquely Japanese art of origami. Buddhists made origami birds as a form of meditation while Shinto priests made ritual pieces. Later on origami lost its religious connotation and became a recreational art. In the 1960s, because of the efforts of several Japanese and Western origami masters, origami diagrams became standardized and more accessible to the world.

 

Paper planes used to be simple but, with origami techniques, it became more sophisticated. Paper planes are modeled after real airplanes, and shares with them the same aerodynamics principles. Lift pushes the plane upward, drag opposes forward motion, gravity pulls the plane downward, and thrust propels the plane forward. A paper plane must be of light yet strong construction, which is why some kinds and cuts of paper are better than others for paper plane folding.

 

Essential to paper planes are the folds. If there is one word central to paper plane folding, it is symmetry. There must be symmetry or the plane will roll or curve to one side. Folds must be clean and dry. Folds must be crisp, sharp and accurate. A small mistake is multiplied with every fold. Like real airplanes, mistake-fraught paper planes can be costly when allowed to be flown. Usually these can be corrected using flaps, soft folds, or taping the problematic part.

 

The folds determine what kind of paper plane will result. There are sleek darts which are meant to be fast, stately gliders, looping jets, and eyecatching models like starships. Every kind of paper plane is launched differently, depending on their classification.

 

A finished paper plane is not just a function of Japanese art and American science. To a person who has seen many paper plane flights and crashes, a paper plane is an important expression of one’s personality. One of my former classmates, now a civil engineering, aced in paper plane folding; he had the rare skill of being able to make his own models. Like me, he had nimble fingers and a curious mind put into more respectable, though often unappreciated, uses. A career in paper folding involves the virtues of cleanliness, creativity, attention to detail, foresight, and patience. The lack of patience has led to numerous crashes and deaths of ambitions. Not all paper planes are folded equal, but you can be sure that the best ones are made by virtuous people.

 

In summary, paper planes are not just the nasty nuisances teachers confiscate. Paper plane folding is the fusion of Japanese origami, Western technology, and an individual’s skills and passion. A good paper plane must be built from the right materials, shaped with the right folds, and launched with the right speed and from the correct angle. And of course, a good paper plane is the reflection of an adept and virtuous paper plane folder (hopefully, I’m on my way on being one).

 

Paper planes may be the first step towards your high aspirations. An apple was the beginning of Newton mechanics, a bird was the inspiration of the Wright brothers. Paper planes might be the runway for your contributions on space pharmacology! Aside from that, more realistically, paper planes are a good way to express your boredom with your out-of-this-universe Chem 14 professor, or impress your date with cheesy lines on air. Create, experiment, launch, crash and launch again. Fly high my friend, and reach your dreams!

 

References:

 

The best paper airplanes you’ll ever fly. Palo Alto, CA: Klutz, Inc.

 

Morris, C. Advanced paper aircraft construction: Easy-to-follow instructions for 14 flyable models. Angus & Robertson Publishers.

 

Morris, C. Advanced paper aircraft construction Mk II: More easy-to-make flyable models. Angus & Robertson Publishers.

 

Morris, C. Advanced paper aircraft construction Mk III: 12 high performance models and why they fly. Angus & Robertson Publishers.

 

Robinson, N. (2008). Origami kit for dummies. West Sussex, UK: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

 

* This was my Speech Communication speech manuscript for my extemporaneous speech last 13 October 2009. Since the speech was supposed to be extemporaneous, I wasn’t allowed to use a manuscript, but my delivery was faithful to the manuscript I made (I read and rehearsed for 14 times, would you believe?). I overshot the maximum time limit of 5 minutes 20 seconds by 2 seconds, but, overall, I thought my performance was satisfactory.