Controlling a paper airplane with control surfaces

Flying a paper airplane is all about making the right adjustments before each launch.

Most paper airplanes have a delta wing design, which uses the same control surfaces at the back of the wings for both elevators and ailerons. With such a wing, you have these options:

• Elevators.
• Rudder.
• Anhedral or Dihedral angle

Elevators:

The elevators are located on the back of the main wing.             

When the air flows over and under the elevator, it creates a lift that change the balance of forces. For example, if the elevators are pointing up, they create less lift, and a momentum is created, that force the back of the airplane down, taking the nose up.

Remember this rule of thumb: Elevator Up = Tail Down = Nose Up.

Rudder:       

Rudder is the vertical flap on the rear end of the airplane. 

The rudder is just like an elevator that stands on its side. Take the rudder left to force the tail to the right and the nose of the airplane to the left.

The rudder on a real airplanes is only needed to correct the yaw during flight, but with a paper airplane we use it to bank.

Remember this rule of thumb: Rudder to the left = Tail to the right = Nose to the left= left banking.