Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Choose a material for your glider. Cardboard is a great choice because you can easily find it for free, and it is easy to work with. Balsa wood sheets will make for a somewhat more durable glider, but they require a craft knife and cost money. Foam is also a possibility, but you should probably avoid it. It is not as easy to find, can be difficult to work with, and is so light that you will have to weight the glider down a fair bit.
Cut a fuselage out, using scissors for cardboard or a craft knife for balsa. The fuselage should look like a profile of a plane. It should have a raised tail in the back to help keep the plane flying straight.
Cut out a wing and a tail. The easiest way to do this is to cut out a rectangle the length of the plane for the wing and a smaller one for the tail. Rectangular wings and tails will make for a slow, stable glider, which is a good thing.
Cut slits in the fuselage for the wing and tail to fit through. They should be just the right size to fit the tail and wing through in order to get a tight fit.
Slide the wing and tale into the slits so that they are centered. Use white glue to attach the wings in a cardboard glider or wood glue for a balsa glider.
Throw the plane. If it shoots up in the air and stalls too quickly, put a paper clip on the nose. If it dives for the ground, put a paper clip on the tail. Keep working on the plane until it flies how you want it to.