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About Throwing a plane and making adjustments

THROWING A PLANE

Good throws start with a good grip. It's always helpful to hold the plane where the bulk of the layers come together. Generally that's close to the center of gravity--or CG as it is known among paper airplane aficionados-on the paper airplane. But where, precisely, is the CG? If you really want to know, it's not that hard to find out. Get a needle and thread. Start running your plane through with the needle and let it hang from the thread. Where the plane balances with wings perfectly flat, hanging from the thread, there's your CG. Back to the proper grip technique: a 1980s hair band, 38 Special, had song lyrics that fit here--"hold on loosely, don't let go." That's the kind of pressure you need to apply for a good grip, firm enough to keep holding but not so tight you'll bunch up layers or warp the wings. Or as 38 Special put it, "If you cling too tightly you're gonna lose control." I hope that was funny to someone.

MAKING THROWING AD JUSTMENTS

nce you know how to throw a plane, you'll need to learn how to make adjustments to get the plane to do what you want it to do. To make the proper adjustments, the first thing you do is observe carefully what the plane does after you throw it.

VEERING RIGHT OR LEFT

Is the plane veering one direction or the other just after launch, but it straightens out later? Could be you need a thumb adjustment. I'm going to assume you're right-handed for a moment. If not, reverse the following directions. If your plane veers right, move your thumb a little lower on your grip. (Lefties go higher.) If you just hold your plane and slide your thumb up and down, you'll see what we're up to here--take a look at the photos on the next page. Changing your thumb position actually changes the angle at which the plane is released. Just a little thumb movement will affect the launch angle a lot. Check it out: Rock the plane left or right by sliding your gripping thumb. (Joe, my thrower, figured this one out for our world-record launch. That's why he's a quarterback and I make planes.) If the plane veers left before fying straight, try raising the thumb position a bit. (Lefties go lower.)

STALLING

Is the plane just climbing up, stalling, and falling? Try releasing the plane at a much lower angle. I always start with a fat toss, straight out at shoulder height. I try to assist the plane into the air for the first few throws. After making a few planes, you'll pick up a knack for guessing about how fast a plane is going to fly. Try to release the craft at that speed. Help it into a stable glide, and then see what needs fixing. Something always needs fixing. Remember, it's a flying machine and made from paper. The moment you get it folded, the paper is trying to unfold. It might be drying out or soaking up moisture. It will change shape over time, To keep it fying right, you need to keep adjusting.

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