Being a kid, we made several easy paper airplanes hoping for them to fly for a while longer than the previous ones. When we were in luck, our paper airplanes flew through the window of our neighbors making a perfect landing on the floor.
Fast forward to the technological era in which we live today, and many of us are still holding on to our childhood memories. Paper airplane kits are made to help us refresh those childhood memories and give our handmade planes a perfect landing.
What Is A Paper Airplane Kit?
A paper airplane kit usually comes with a theme. Based on your preference, you can order a holiday theme or any action figure paper airplane kit. The kit has pre-cut-out models of different airplanes, while some might also carry a rubber band to help you with landing skills.
Things to Consider When Buying a Paper Airplane Kit
A paper airplane kit makes a perfect gift for kids of any age. For beginners, it is essential to consider certain things before buying a paper airplane kit including the following:
1) Design
If you are gifting a paper airplane kit to someone, make sure that the design you choose matches their preferences. For a Spiderman fan, the web-shooter design would work perfectly. The kits also come in several geometrical shapes or abstract designs and there is a huge variety of designs to choose from.
2) Instructions Manual
Opt for a kit that carries an easy-to-follow instruction manual with clear guidelines. The manual provides in-depth instructions about installing and launching. It is a fun way to engage your child in activities that enhance motor skills and impart precision. What’s more; these kits are a great idea for keeping children occupied after a power outage.
3) Limited-edition Packs
With the special season come limited edition products. Some people love to collect seasonal things and keep a record of them. Limited edition packs are a bit more expensive than the regular ones. So, don’t fall for marketing fluff until and unless your child is an absolute fan of a certain model or design.
4) Age Consideration
Using fancy airplane kits is great, but not all of them are meant for kids below a certain age. The risks associated with the paper plane kit outweigh the benefits if you hand them over to the wrong age group. Kids below the age of two must not be left unassisted with a paper airplane kit as it can cause harm to them. The paper can cause paper cuts, while scissors, glue, and rubber bands are things that you never want around your child without proper supervision.
Tools to Shape a Perfect Paper Airplane
Although paper airplane kits come with all the accessories required to everything work, you might need some additional tools to further enhance your experience. These include:
Bone folder: A set of bone folders help to achieve a perfect fold without scratching the surface.
Metal rulers: Metal rulers are used to take proper measurements of paper airplanes. They are useful for placing between the folds when constructing the airplane. This is to avoid creasing.
Paper clips: Paper clips add weight to the paper airplane and help adjust the center of gravity
Scissors: Scissors are used to make beautiful designs and shapes out of paper airplanes
Tapes: Tapes secure the paper and hold the paper airplane firmly against environmental forces.
Tips for Paper Airplane Safety
Once a child or adult has finished making their paper airplane, they shouldn’t start flying it without any preparation. While the plane might be made of paper, it can still cause some harm if used improperly.
Safety should be your top priority while crafting or building anything at home. Paper airplane kits might come with certain safety warnings, but we also have a few chalked out below. Following these closely will help you enjoy your paper airplanes to the utmost without endangering yourself or anyone else:
1. Don’t throw the airplane in anyone’s face
It can be tempting to startle someone by launching a paper airplane in the direction of their face. You may even do this carelessly without thinking of the consequences, but the pointed end of even a paper airplane can be quite painful.
Throwing a paper airplane in the face of any person or animal can also cause damage to their eye. This will be a very painful experience and damage their vision as well. Instead, make sure to aim your airplane well away from any living creature.
2. Be careful of papercuts
Papercuts can occur while you’re folding paper for your airplane or handling the finished version. Just brushing the skin against a paper edge can cause a painful cut. Even if they’re not deep or life-threatening, paper cuts can be disturbing and very painful. Sometimes, they’re even more painful than a cut from a knife due to the rigid and unfinished paper edges. Plus, those edges may have bacteria on them, which could get into the paper cut and cause infections.
3. Survey surroundings before flying
Before you launch your paper airplane, take a look at your surroundings. Since a paper airplane is very light, they get influenced by various forces. Ideally, you shouldn’t fly a paper airplane near any houseplants or breakable objects.
4. Balance it out
Make sure that your paper airplane is properly balanced. If it’s not, it will quickly lose control while flying and crash easily. This will reduce the fun that you get from it and also cause some damage (to bystanders or the plane itself).
FAQs
1. What’s the best place to fly paper planes?
The best place to fly your paper airplanes is at a 500 × 500 feet field that should have no obstacles such as huge trees, or buildings.
2. What factor influences the speed of paper airplanes?
The first and foremost factor hampering the speed of an easy paper airplane is wind. Strong wind causes turbulence and affects the speed of your paper plane whereas calm wind gives a smooth landing.
3. How much force should I apply to launch the plane?
The launch requires little power such as shutting a door, but it is the initial alignment that matters. Your airplane must be leveled before giving it a gentle push.
4. What type of paper should I use for the airplane?
You can use any type of paper, such as; newspaper, notebook paper, construction paper, printer page, or anything; the only thing is that it has to be folded perfectly.
Conclusion
Paper airplane kits are a perfect item for young adults who can use them for recreational as well as educational purposes. For kids, sensory play enhances motor abilities at a young age; for adults, a paper airplane kit can bring back precious childhood memories.
After paper airplanes, the next step is to check out model planes and remote-controlled planes. If you’ve never done it before, this guide to picking out your first RC plane could be of help.