Origami turned into a sport. The history of paper aviation from the first models to tournaments

Presumably, the first people who invented and learned how to make figures out of paper were the inhabitants of ancient China, because paper originated there. In 105 AD, a Chinese dignitary of the Han Dynasty, Cai Lun, invented paper.

For a long time this art form was part of religious rituals, and after that it became available only to people from the upper classes, and it was considered one of the features of good upbringing.

The greatest contribution to the development and popularization of the skill of folding figures from paper – origami – was made by Japan. The official instructions for assembly were printed in Akisato Rito’s book “The Secret of Folding a Thousand Cranes” in 1797.

Ideas about “conquering the sky”

Thoughts of conquering the airspace have always attracted people, everyone wanted to fly like birds. Absolutely one of those who contributed to the invention of flying machines was Leonardo Da Vinci. His sketch drawings included an ornithopter, an aircraft made of parchment paper.

There is an interesting fact. In 1899, the Wright brothers joined the race for the sky. They, following the example of George Cayley (English inventor-aviator, the first to fly a controlled glider), used small flying models for their tests and study of aerodynamics. But whereas in Cayley’s case they were linen gliders and poles, the Wrights had paper airplanes and wind tunnels.

Landmark years for paper aviation

In the early ’30s, paper wings were owed to at least two people: British artist and engineer Wallis Rigby and inventor Jack Northrop.

Rigby then designed his first airplane, and then tried to make models that actually flew, not just beautiful products on the shelf. What made him famous was that several publishers began publishing his rudimentary models that anyone could assemble.

As for Jack, he used paper airplanes for tests before constructing real and larger aircraft.

Airplanes and Guinness World Records

It would seem that an ordinary piece of paper, a simple amusement for most people, but it turned out that with the help of paper airplanes can show results, which will then be recorded in the Guinness Book of Records.

In terms of flight time, the record is held by Takua Todda, the head of the Origami Airplane Association of Japan. In 2009, he was able to launch a paper projectile that stayed in the air for 29.2 seconds.

The record for the longest flight distance belongs to Joe Ayoub. In 2012, the American quarterback managed to launch a paper projectile to a distance of 69.14 meters. It is noteworthy that the paper model for Joe was made by John Collins, a man who has made building airplanes his life’s work. He came up with the scheme of the record-breaking airplane and named it after his wife – “Suzanne”.

What is it with airplanes now?

Nowadays, paper aviation only continues to gain momentum and win the hearts of people. This fun has become more of a sport, and people who launch airplanes in their free time have become real athletes.

Since 2006, the Red Bull Paper Wings World Championship has been held in the “Hangar 7” at Salzburg Airport. The competition has reached such a scale that in 2022 athletes from 64 countries will take part in it. Russia is one of them.

The rules of the championship are as follows:

• the competition is held in a closed room, which excludes the presence of uncontrolled air flows and working ventilation and air conditioning systems: nothing must interfere with or help the projectiles at the moment of flight;
• the planes must be made of one standard sheet of A4 paper and weigh no more than 100 grams;
• the sheet of paper may only be folded. Tearing, cutting, gluing, weighting in the form of staples and tape is strictly prohibited.

Editorial Trial

During our time studying the history of paper airplane building, our editorial staff became imbued with the idea of launching, and we decided to try our hand at piloting.

At the Red Bull Paper Wings World Championship, there are three different events to compete in: range, duration, and aerobatics (qualifiers are held online).

After spending some time looking for interesting patterns to fold, I settled on the following:

For range flying

This circuit is exactly like the one Joe Ayoub launched to set the Guinness World Record for range. What attracted me to it was how simple it was: no unnecessary bends or creases. But unfortunately, I don’t have the physical skills and characteristics that Joe has. That’s why the result is far from a record. The model flew 9.5 meters.

For the duration of the flight.

The second circuit is again a replica of the airplane that set the record for flight time. Initially it seemed that here may appear difficulties at the stage of preparation. But, as we know, everything ingenious is simple. What was really lacking here was space and perfected throwing technique. The plane stayed in the air for 2.49 seconds.

At the 2019 World Finals, Yaroslav Kislov was able to set a personal record in the range discipline and send the airplane to 45.97 meters, which allowed him to climb to the fifth line of the world ranking and get into the top 10 finalists of 2019.

The fate of the national team is in your hands

Yes, Russia has a chance to make a name for itself at the upcoming Red Bull Paper Wings World Championships. This year, qualifying competitions will be held in eight cities of our country:

• Moscow: eight qualifying stages;
• St. Petersburg: eight qualifying stages;
• Kazan: three qualifying stages;
• Novosibirsk: three qualifying stages;
• Rostov-on-Don: three qualifying stages;
• Nizhny Novgorod: two qualifying stages;
• Yekaterinburg: two qualifying stages;
• Vladivostok: one qualifying stage.

The finalists of these competitions will meet in Moscow at the national final, which will determine the composition of the Russian national team. The team will go to the Red Bull Paper Wings World Final in the legendary “Hangar-7”.