The launcher gets the thrust it needs from a rubber band
Looking for some flying fun? This paper plane launcher gives your plane a speedy launch!
Safety: When launching your plane aim it away from people’s faces and animals
This launcher packs a punch! The paper plane goes from stopped to flying in just 20 centimetres. It gets the thrust it needs from the rubber band.
When you stretch the band around the launcher, it stores a lot of potential energy. Lifting the flaps releases the band, and it quickly shrinks, releasing all that energy. But the plane gets caught on the band, so lots of that energy goes into the plane instead!
It can take a lot of runway to get a jet into the air. Airliners take off at speeds of about 250 kilometres per hour and it can take a while to get up to speed. The main runway at Sydney airport is almost 4 kilometres long.
Unlike airport runways, aircraft carriers can’t be as long, so they give their aircraft an extra boost. A special machine, called a catapult, pulls the plane up to flying speed in less than 100 metres!
You can see steam escaping from this catapult after it launched a plane!
Image: ©iStock.com/CT757fan
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