How to Make the StarRanger Paper Airplane

Fast, long range and tiny, the StarRanger is a reworked development of the popular SkyRanger miniature paper airplane to succeed the latter.

The StarRanger was developed to serve as a simpler successor to its basis, the 2013 SkyRanger. To this end, the forward fuselage design were retained while the empennage integrated a T-tail design. Compared with the SkyRanger, this layout makes construction simpler and requiring of less material, at the expense of some trailing edge wing area. Flight testing showed this layout to be a good one and the StarRanger showed itself to be a capable aircraft and worthy successor in testing.

TAA USAF Designation: D445-1

Required:
1 Piece of 8 by 10.5 inch graph paper

Scissors

Ruler

Tape

Pencil

Stapler

First, begin by folding your your graph paper in half (excluding three boxes on the perforated side). Once the paper has been folded appropriately, make two marks--13 full boxes apart (allow for a further box back behind the airframe). Use a ruler to make a straight line with the length of 13 boxes directly up 1 row of boxes from the two marks you just made. Then make the stabilizers, spars and counterweight as shown.

After the fuselage is made, take another sheet of paper that is folded in half along the lines of boxes. Mark out the wing as shown (3 boxes of chord at the root, by 4 boxes in width; leading edge sweep of 1 box of chord eliminated every 2 boxes away from the center fold). Then cut the wing out.

Solid lines indicate places to cut. Dotted lines indicate fold lines.

Note: 1 box = 0.25 inches

Cut out your fuselage and fold the counterweight into the fuselage. Fold down the spars and landing gear, followed by the horizontal stabilizers. Apply tape where designated in the photographs. Cut away the portion of fuselage below the solid diagonal line as shown and apply tape to secure the lower fuselage. Apply one staple where designated in the area of the counterweight folds to finish the fuselage.

Cut out and unfold your StarRanger's wings. Once this is done, align the airframe with the wing and secure the wings to the spars with tape. Cutoff all excess tape and tape the leading edge of the wing to the leading edge root extension at its joint as pictured. This will complete your aircraft.

Because of its small wings, the StarRanger tends to fly like dart in the direction where it is pointed. Handling characteristics are similar to "drone fighters" I have designed for those with experience making and using those.

Launches should be conducted at neutral or positive attitudes at moderate to high speed. Test flights should be conducted to see what trim (if any) is required. Additional applicable surfaces include ailerons, elevators, flaps, air brakes and a trimmable rudder. Enjoy!