Stable Glider

A tiny glider that prints in about 17 minutes and flies over 50 metres from a rubber-band launch. It was improved over many versions, which is itself a lesson in iterative design.

Use it for the forces on a plane (lift, weight, drag, thrust), and for experiments: wing angle (dihedral), elevator angle and launch force.

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

1. Print flat, no supports.
2. Bend the wings up about 5 degrees and the rear elevators up a little.
3. Hold it just behind the wings and throw medium-hard, or launch it with a rubber band from the notch.
4. Groups change one setting at a time and record flight distance.