Do you like paper planes? Here’s a different glider to try, made from cups. You might be surprised at the path it takes when it flies!
You will need
- 2 disposable cups*
- Sticky tape
- About 10 rubber bands
* Note: Foam or plastic cups work best, but paper cups can still be used
Making the glider
- Put one cup upside down and the other the right way up on top, so the bottoms touch.
- Wrap a piece of tape around the join to stick the two cups together. This is your glider.
- Hold one rubber band horizontal.
- Hold a second rubber band vertical inside the horizontal band.
- Push one end of the horizontal band through the vertical band. Pull that end with one hand, and the top of the vertical band with the other hand, in opposite directions.
- Continue this pattern with the remaining rubber bands to form a chain, keeping the existing chain at the top of the vertical band. This is your launcher.
- Find a clear area where you won’t hit anyone or anything. In the following steps, be careful to keep the rubber chain away from your face.
- Stretch the rubber chain launcher and wrap the end three times around the join between the cups on the glider.
- Keeping everything tight, hold the glider with one hand near your body. With your other hand, hold the launcher away from your body. The launcher should be coming out from under the bottom of the glider. If it’s coming off the top, turn the glider over.
- Make sure the launcher is taut, then let go. It might take a few goes, but when you get it right, the glider will fly and spin up into the air!
Making the launcher
Flying the cups
Trouble-shooting: If the glider keeps bumping into the hand holding the launcher, make sure the launcher runs across the top of the thumb of the hand that’s holding it.
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