For Dillon Ruble from USA, paper airplanes were a love at first flight!
He is now the proud record title holder for the farthest flight by a paper aircraft, which is 88.31 m (289 ft 9 in).
But how did he do it?!
After making paper planes for years and years, ever since he was a little kid, at 22 he finally decided to share his talent with the world.
That’s when he participated in the 2022 edition of Red Bull Paper Wings… the largest paper airplane competition in the world! ✈️
Not only was he a world finalist, but he also set new records in the distance category, being one of the first participants to ever break 60 meters.
But he didn’t stop there…
As soon as he returned home, he worked even harder and made major design changes, with the help and support of Nathaniel Erickson and Garrett Jensen, his two friends and classmates.
Fast forward a few months later, and we’ve got a new record breaker. 🥳
Dillon, Nathan and Garrett all studied Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering which, as Dillon described it, was “a dream come true!”.
Their design was inspired by hypersonic aerospace vehicles, which are vehicles that travel at least 4 times faster than the speed of sound.
Even with all their knowledge, the previous record of 77.13 metres was far from easy to break; in fact, they practiced for over four months before making their attempt!
But in the end, hard work paid off. 🙏🏻
Congratulation to Dillon, and his friends Nathan and Garrett for following their dreams and doing something Officially Amazing™. ✨
Now it’s your turn
If you feel inspired by Dillon’s story, keep reading 👇
Are you a pro paper airplane pilot?
Put that to the test with a “Set a Record” challenge that’s made just for you, people under 16 years old!
In order to succeed, you will have to break the record for Most times to hit a target with a paper aircraft in three minutes.
Or in other words, land as many paper planes as you can into a bucket!
Here is what you will need:
- Paper aircrafts made from A4 paper ✈️
- A bucket 🪣
- A stopwatch ⏱️
Once you’ve got everything, click here to watch Harry explaining and attempting the record with you!
There are many paper plane making methods. The easiest one is this 👇
However, you can experiment with different designs until you find the one that works best for you… and that makes your paper airplane fly faster and farther.
Once you’re happy with the result and have made your official attempt, ask your parent of guardian to apply here.
Oh, and good luck! 🤩
