| Flight intrigues young and old alike. While he was growing up, Norman made all kinds of things that fly, inspired by the many swallows swooping about the farmyard, and also by the thousands of Canada geese flying overhead each spring and fall, in their V-formations. But it was the raptors circling lazily over the fields on hot summer afternoons that really captured his imagination. He found these birds to be amazing creatures, and still does; how they fly so effortlessly and oftentimes climb out of sight without ever flapping their wings. This sparked a keen interest in all kinds of aero-modelling. Sadly, many of these free-wheeling birds are now threatened by human activity and need protecting. But in those days this thought never crossed his mind. He just wanted to do what they did. Some of his many paper planes were made from cereal boxes, others from plain writing paper. He also made tissue paper and balsa models, as well as various stick-and-paper kites. |
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Paper airplanes can take many forms. This folded plane (with one cut to add a tail) is an advance from the common folded dart and has more flight control. |
| When flown out-of-doors, occasionally, under certain weather conditions, he noticed that the small planes would climb seemingly on their own, extending their glide back down to the ground. On one occasion one paper plane climbed up out of sight – thrilling! – (where it landed was never discovered). It had been caught up on a rising current of air, called a thermal. This is known as soaring flight; this is what the raptors do, taking advantage of the many thermals that fill the sky at certain times of day. (Eventually Norman would also do so in his own glider or sailplane, an aircraft without a motor designed specifically for soaring. For this sport there are clubs around the world.) |
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While some paper planes are only folded (or cut and folded), others are cut from heavier paper or card and are made to look more like actual airplanes. These are sometimes called profile models. Here you see an example of each, a colourful tailless flying wing that is folded, and a cutout scale model of Norman’s full-size glider. |
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Paper planes are a fun way to pass the time of day. They are a good way to discover the principles of flight, how it is that a bird or bat can fly at all, or an airplane. In the last century and a half much has been discovered about flight, and planes built in many shapes and sizes for every need has been the result, some setting all kinds of records – distance, altitude, load carrying, and speed. So with paper planes, there are a great variety of them, as many as there are plane builders, and some of them, too, are record holders. Many who take a keen interest in flight at a young age become aviators as adults.
One paper plane Norman made became his favourite for use in school flight workshops. Unlike the common folded dart, this paper plane has the three main parts found in a conventional airplane: (1) wings for lift (2) a tail to steer and maneuver with and (3) a body or fuselage. Plain paper is cut, folded, and glued. Because of its use in many workshops, it is called the Classroom Plain Plane. You can download a pattern to make this plane here. (Or purchase Norman’s books and make all kinds of things that fly – see Papercraft Books page). |
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The Classroom Plain Plain – it can be built plain or fancy. |
 A cutout scale model of the Boeing P-26 Peashooter, under construction. |
Launching a cutout scale model of the famous warbird, Supermarine Spitfire. |
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 The Schweizer SGS 1-26 B sailplane (glider) in which Norman spent many enjoyable hours soaring like the hawks, riding the prairie thermal air currents. With a keen interest in flight, the paper planes he made growing up were an incentive to become a pilot. |
Conducting a paper airplane workshop where school kids have fun while learning the principles of flight. |
Today, Norman is unable to do many of the things he once enjoyed. Illness has made it impossible to engage in anything involving balance and motion – like flying. |
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A bat-wing plane cut and folded from black paper. |