Flying Square of Cardboard.
October 20, 2013 6:35 PM   Subscribe

Flying Square of Cardboard. [SLYT] It's a square of cardboard. That flies.

It's cardboard. It's square. And it flies.
posted by Room 641-A (41 comments total) 20 users marked this as a favorite
 
Does what it says on the corrugated box.
posted by zippy at 6:41 PM on October 20, 2013 [8 favorites]


Oh, there's a motor on it.

Here I was hoping for a combination of aerodynamics and fortunate updraft arrangement leading to something wonderful.
posted by kafziel at 6:43 PM on October 20, 2013 [6 favorites]


This is the engineer version of sitting inside of a box pretending it's a fort.
posted by codacorolla at 6:44 PM on October 20, 2013 [6 favorites]


Suddenly, I've got a great idea for an aerial-drone pizza-delivery service...
posted by Strange Interlude at 6:45 PM on October 20, 2013 [5 favorites]


First thought: Hey, it's an A-Wing!

Second thought: Apparently anything really will fly if you throw it hard enough/strap a sufficiently powerful engine to it.
posted by valkyryn at 6:45 PM on October 20, 2013 [2 favorites]


You didn't say it flies!!!


...except the part where you said it flies.
posted by not_on_display at 6:46 PM on October 20, 2013 [2 favorites]


Apparently anything really will fly if you throw it hard enough/strap a sufficiently powerful engine to it.

True dat.
posted by Strange Interlude at 6:46 PM on October 20, 2013 [9 favorites]


Boeing is spending WAY too much money on their design teams.
posted by HuronBob at 6:48 PM on October 20, 2013 [2 favorites]


valkyryn: As my father was fond of saying, you could fly a barn door with a big enough engine.*

*Now, you and I both know what he really meant was an appropriately-sized engine with a high-enough HP/mass ratio when running within its optimal power band. But that doesn't make for a good aphorism.
posted by ardgedee at 6:48 PM on October 20, 2013 [2 favorites]


I was expecting something more Fittsian
posted by Flashman at 6:49 PM on October 20, 2013


From RFC 1925:
[ ... ] With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine. However, this is not necessarily a good idea. [ ... ]
posted by smcameron at 6:51 PM on October 20, 2013 [3 favorites]


>True dat.

Amazing lawnmower there. Gasoline engines have an amazing power-to-weight ratio, but are noisy and messy and frankly scary. I waited for batteries and electric motors to get good enough before I got into RC flying. Lithium Polymer (LiPo) batteries and modern electric motors are now (more than) good enough - it's amazing what they can do. I'll admit, though, they're probably not ready to lift a full-grown lawn mower (whose control surfaces I couldn't make out).

Even so, lawnmowers or sheets of cardboard included, having somewhat of an airfoil would add stability, and allow the plane to fly more slowly with stability.
posted by dylanjames at 6:54 PM on October 20, 2013


(the lawn mower is also made of cardboard)
posted by ryanrs at 6:58 PM on October 20, 2013 [1 favorite]


Point of order. There's clearly a 6" Cardboard Circle involved there as well.
posted by eriko at 6:59 PM on October 20, 2013 [2 favorites]


It was pleasantly weird to watch something fly against a background of snow-covered peaks while listening to calpypso music.
posted by SPrintF at 7:07 PM on October 20, 2013 [8 favorites]


Apparently anything really will fly if you throw it hard enough/strap a sufficiently powerful engine to it.

The F-4 proved that back in the 50s.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 7:08 PM on October 20, 2013


With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine.

Folks, with sufficient thrust, Kerbels fly just fine!

for suitibly high definition of sufficient and low definitions of fine.
posted by eriko at 7:08 PM on October 20, 2013 [2 favorites]


(the lawn mower is also made of cardboard)

More like foam.

http://flyingthingz.com/products/skycutter_green.html

They also make a snoopy riding a dog house, this may be relevant to your interests.
posted by Pink Fuzzy Bunny at 7:09 PM on October 20, 2013 [4 favorites]


I watched that whole thing to see how he lands it without dinging up the corners, which would tend to mess up the aerodynamics. And of course you don't get to see the landing actually happen, grrr.
posted by George_Spiggott at 7:16 PM on October 20, 2013


The Drone It Yourself (DIY) kit by Jasper van Loenen has a video demonstrating a flying bicycle wheel, keyboard, hardcover book, and a boogie board.
posted by jjwiseman at 7:19 PM on October 20, 2013


I'm watching it and thinking "Gee, that looks a lot like home". Then I read the comments. Yeah, about 15 miles away.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 7:47 PM on October 20, 2013


Amazing lawnmower there.

I do believe that's a plastic toy lawnmower. Please tell me it's a plastic toy, or I will be forced to wear my tin foil stainless steel helmet from now on.

With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine.

Folks, with sufficient thrust, Kerbels fly just fine!


Gerbils?
posted by BlueHorse at 7:50 PM on October 20, 2013


That is the happiest cardboard I've ever seen.
posted by oulipian at 8:07 PM on October 20, 2013 [3 favorites]


With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine.

This was proven as far back as 1909.
posted by dephlogisticated at 8:23 PM on October 20, 2013 [2 favorites]


This is basically the guiding principle of most scratch-built foam RC aircraft these days.
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 8:27 PM on October 20, 2013


Gerbils?

No, Kerbals.

...

Yes, the calypso adds a lot. Very pleasant.
posted by jiawen at 8:28 PM on October 20, 2013 [1 favorite]


And no, making RC airplanes cheaper will still not give me enough time in my life for another hobby. Dangit.
posted by jiawen at 8:30 PM on October 20, 2013


This was proven as far back as 1909.

Lordy but that gentleman looks like Fred Gwynne.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 8:34 PM on October 20, 2013


A reasonably rigid square of cardboard, essentially planar, flying through the air. An aero-plane, if you will.

Amazing!
posted by Reverend John at 8:38 PM on October 20, 2013 [2 favorites]


jiawen: "Gerbils?

No, Kerbals.


What the fuck's a triffid Kerbal?
posted by Reverend John at 8:42 PM on October 20, 2013


I found the Poo-Pourri ad before-hand to be way more entertaining.
posted by greta simone at 9:02 PM on October 20, 2013


It is against nature. I, and nature, furrow our brows. Such furrow. Wow.
posted by sandettie light vessel automatic at 9:26 PM on October 20, 2013


"Oh, there's a motor on it."

Check out air surfing or "walkalong gliders" (previously)!
posted by mbrubeck at 9:34 PM on October 20, 2013 [1 favorite]


Has he taken it off any sweet jumps?
posted by humboldt32 at 12:41 AM on October 21, 2013


The first time I watched it without my headphones in. The second time, with the music, it put a huge grin on my face. 100 times better with the sound on.
posted by Gordafarin at 5:19 AM on October 21, 2013


The Wright brothers should have just waited for modern paper products to be invented.
posted by miyabo at 6:09 AM on October 21, 2013


Why would they not make this look exactly like a pizza box? WHY?

The little tail fin thing could have even been a slice.
posted by orme at 6:59 AM on October 21, 2013 [1 favorite]


Maybe they were worried about the danger from Major League Baseball pitchers.
posted by mbrubeck at 7:15 AM on October 21, 2013


You don't need thrust, just inertia.
posted by blue_beetle at 8:45 AM on October 21, 2013


Also
posted by bz at 11:20 AM on October 21, 2013


Surely this is enough to lay the Bernoulli Principle wing lift controversy to rest once and for all.
posted by flabdablet at 10:45 PM on October 21, 2013


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