Eletruk
It will never fly. Because as everybody knows, it\'s the shape of the wing and the Bernoulli effect that keeps a plane in the air.
Actually, I don\'t know why people still insist the shape of the wing is the only thing that allows planes to fly. That\'s just not true, because otherwise, paper airplanes (now they can be powered) or even the rubber band airplanes can fly perfectly well without any wing curvature.
imaclone
Eletruk - I assume that from our post that you realize that the Bernoulli effect does not keep a plane in the air... it has little to do with generating lift at all. The Naked Scientists did a great scrapbook episode on the subject:
http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/scrapbook/show/2011.07.12/
Adrian Akau
What a nice invention. Certainly it will fly. If you made paper airplanes and want them to circle, just bend down the back corner of one of the wings.
TexByrnes
Many years ago, a craze started among Rank Xerox salesmen for flying paper aeroplanes from floor 20 of the Piccadilly Plaza office building in Manchester. The sizes increased to around newspaper proportions and a book was run on distance/duration records as they circled high above the \'bus station for minutes....without power! Great fun for everyone including the people on the ground. Of course some jobsworth, possibly the founder of our Health and Safety Industry, had it banned, so more \'power\' to the Tailor Boys\' elbows. Ian Colley.
warren52nz
Imaclone - That\'s right. A lot of people still thing the Bournelli Effect is what gives lift when it does almost nothing. Otherwise how can planes fly upside down? It\'s all about angle of attack and if the paper plane doesn\'t get that right it won\'t fly.
Thanks for pointing me to the Naked Science article, I\'ve been looking for something on the topic.
Gregg Eshelman
How about a tractor version?
Tailortoys
It actually flies very well, you can see it in the movie and other movies on the youtube channel.
Area6X
Coanda vs Bernoulli
I\'d like to hear an experts explanation but a quick review of the Coanda Effect and the Bernoulli Effect seem to indicate that Coanda Effect creates lift from the flaps when they are an extreme angle and Bernoulli Effect creates life from the fixed part of the wing.
That would also explain why The Naked Scientists link shows the wing at an extreme angle to the thrust vector.
A plane flying upside down does not disprove the Bernoulli Effect or support the Coanda Effect. There are many more principles in play in flight then these two and, besides, not all planes can fly upside down. Those that can usually sacrifice the ability to sustain forward flight, or sacrifice speed, etc.
For example, specialized stunt planes can fly straight up and then hover by using thrust in a vertical position instead of lift.
Shai Goitein
Available now in EU http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B004PVWB5M/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1317795831&sr=8-1
delaneycross
It is a very amazing achievement but it has no control so why pay money for 90 seconds of flight when it gets stuck in a tree.Even if someone flies it inside, there will be too much speed and it will just crash into a wall. HOW MANY BEATINGS CAN IT TAKE before the small motor at the front of the plane dies.