An Intro before the Throwing and Adjusting

Most people have conflicting ideas about paper airplanes. They're sure they used to be able to make a great one, and they're sure they can't make a good one now. It's possible that b of these things are true, but it's more likely that neither one is. What passes for a great fight when you're younger doesn't cut the mustard now, and when you were younger, you were more willing to have a bunch of bad ones to get one good flight. Most people can fold a very good plane. And here's where the two ideas--I used to make a good plane and I can't make a good one now---intersect: most people are not very good at throwing and adjusting their planes. Be calm. You've turned to the right page. What I'm about to tell you works for every airplane-from the most basic, all the way through my world-record plane. To get the full benefit of this chapter, go get one of your paper airplanes now. or, if you haven't made one, spend some time making one-maybe try one of the designs in this book. Now I'm going to assume you did a good job folding. The creases are crisp, the wings match, your plane matches photo of the finished plane in terms of dihedral, winglet angles, and so on, First, go have some fun. You've earned it. Go ahead. Take a few throws, as hard or as easy as you like. I'll wait. Did you watch closely what your plane did? Did it do the same thing each time? The more you fly paper airplanes and the more closely you observe them, the more you'll learn about throwing and adjusting. To help you with that flying and observing, throwing and adjusting, I want to share a few tips. Let's start from the top. Never, ever pick your paper airplane up by the trailing edge of the wing (the tail). I'll show you why. Hold your plane in the palm of your hand. Lightly pinch a rear corner of one wing between your thumb and forefinger move the support hand. See the paper be That's really, really bad for the aerodynamics. All the careful adjustments we're about to make will be undone by picking your plane up this way. Okay, put your injured plane down on the table. Smooth the wing out, and look for the thickest set of layers near the nose. There's your handle. Now you're ready to throw.