Air Skimmer (Ground Effect Glider)

A print-in-place air skimmer that glides just above a smooth floor, riding on a cushion of air (ground effect), like the paper versions many of us made at school.

Throw it by hand or launch it with a rubber band, and talk about air resistance, friction and why it slides so far.

Design by stingray127 on Printables, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. The files and photos are the designer's, unchanged.

1. Print without supports; the "hooks" versions can be launched with a rubber band.
2. Use a long, smooth, hard floor (a corridor or hall).
3. Launch underhand like a bowling ball; compare distances between versions.