Have you ever wondered how to turn a simple paper airplane into a winning science fair project? With a few design tweaks and scientific testing, you can explore the fascinating world of aerodynamics and see how different planes fly!
Paper Airplane Science Fair Project
Paper airplanes are fun to make and fly, but they can also teach us important science concepts. By experimenting with different designs, you can learn about lift, drag, and thrust, and create a great science fair project. Let’s dive into an exciting paper airplane experiment, and you can even build a paper airplane launcher to test your creations!
Recommended Grade Level: 3rd-6th Grades
Supplies:
- Different types of paper (printer paper, construction paper)
- Ruler or measuring tape
- Stopwatch or timer
- Tape Measure
- Pens and Pencils
- Open indoor or outdoor space for testing
- Notebook or data collection sheet
- Paper clips
- Rubber bands (for optional launcher)
- Printable Instructions and blank graph (Join us in the Library Club)
💡 Check out our How to Make Paper Airplanes here with free instructions!
Tips To Set Up Your Science Project
1 Create different airplane designs: Fold several paper airplanes with different wing sizes, shapes, and body lengths. Keep your designs consistent by using the same paper size and folding techniques. Wing design matters! Our airplane templates will help.
2. Set up a testing area: Use an open space without wind interference. Mark your starting point, and throw each airplane with the same amount of force to keep the test fair.
💡 See our tips for throwing paper airplanes here. Remember you’ll want to launch your airplane the same way every time!
3. Measure and record data: Use a ruler or measuring tape to measure how far each airplane flies. Time how long each plane stays in the air with a stopwatch. Record your results in a notebook to create a data table or bar graph later (see below for an example).
4. Analyze the data: Repeat the test a few times for each airplane design to ensure accuracy. Calculate the average distance and flight time for each design.
5. Use a launcher (optional): Want to add more fun? Use a rubber band launcher to propel your planes and test if they fly farther compared to hand throws. You can check out our Airplane Launcher Tutorial here.
Airplane Science Information
Aerodynamics: This project helps you understand how air moves around an object. The wings of the paper airplane interact with the air, creating lift to keep the plane flying. At the same time, drag slows the plane down.
Thrust: Whether using your hand or a launcher, the force that moves the plane forward is called thrust.
Lift and Drag: Different wing designs create varying levels of lift and drag. Large wings might create more lift, but also more drag. Small, streamlined designs might fly faster with less drag but could lose altitude quicker.
Turn It into a Science Fair Project
💡Here’s a great opportunity to use the scientific method and variables.
Come Up With A Hypothesis: For example, “If I make a plane with larger wings, then it will fly farther because it will generate more lift.”
Test Different Variables: Use various types of paper, or add weight by attaching paper clips to test how weight affects the flight. You could also adjust the wing length and see how that changes the flight distance and duration. Choose an independent variable and a dependent variable.
By changing the airplane’s design, such as the shape of the wings (independent variable), and measuring how far it flies or how long it stays in the air (dependent variable), you can draw conclusions about how design impacts flight performance.
Collect Data: To get accurate results, collect data from multiple trials. Record how far and how long each plane flies and calculate averages. Create a bar graph (see our example below)!
Analyze and Present: Compare the results between different airplane designs. Which design flew the farthest? Which stayed in the air the longest? Share your findings on a science board or in a report.
💡 The bar graph below is a great example of what you can put on a science fair board!
This bar graph shows an example of the distances traveled by different paper airplane designs. Each design (such as “Wide Wings” or “Narrow Wings”) is listed on the x-axis, while the y-axis represents the distance flown in feet.
From the graph, you can compare which designs flew the farthest. For instance, in this example, the “Narrow Wings” design flew the farthest at 15 feet, while the “Long Body” design flew the shortest distance at 9 feet.
Explore Physics with More Things That Fly
This airplane science experiment fits perfectly into a physics lesson plan. Have some more fun with things that fly below. Throw in some fun with Galileo and Gravity experiments too.
- DIY Hovercraft
- Parachute STEM Challenge
- Paper Straw Rockets
- Paper Helicopter
- Bottle Rocket (includes chemistry too!)
- Air Resistance with Air Foils
- Paper Engineering Projects
Printable Science Projects For Kids
If you’re looking to grab all of our printable science projects in one convenient place plus exclusive worksheets and bonuses like a STEAM Project pack, our Science Project Pack is what you need! Over 300+ Pages!
- Bonus Quick Grab Packs for Biology, Earth Science, Chemistry, and Physics
- 90+ classic science activities with journal pages, supply lists, set up and process, and science information. NEW! Activity-specific observation pages!
- Best science practices posters and our original science method process folders for extra alternatives!
- Be a Collector activities pack introduces kids to the world of making collections through the eyes of a scientist. What will they collect first?
- Know the Words Science vocabulary pack includes flashcards, crosswords, and word searches that illuminate keywords in the experiments!
- My science journal writing prompts explore what it means to be a scientist!!
- Bonus STEAM Project Pack: Art meets science with doable projects!
