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Description

This event is a fast-paced, hands-on Aeronautical Engineering Challenge designed to channel the competitive energy of Scouts (ages 11–14).

Moving away from just "folding paper," the program treats the Scouts as aerospace engineers tasked with building a high-performance Fleet of Three aircraft. Each plane must be specialized to conquer a specific discipline: The Long Haul (raw distance), The Sky Hang (maximum airtime), The Carrier Deck (landing precision), and The Top Gun (aerobatic stunts).

The evening balances technical skill—learning how "elevators," "rudders," and "dihedral angles" affect flight—with an Olympic-style tournament where Patrols compete for the title of Ace Pilot and Lead Engineer. It’s a low-cost, high-engagement session that turns a simple sheet of A4 paper into a lesson in physics and precision

Resources

Equipment List
Reams of A4 paper (recycled is great!).
Masking tape and scissors.
Measuring tape (10m+) and a stopwatch.
Hula hoops or targets.
Markers/Pens for decoration.

Instructions

1. Pre-Meeting Setup (19:15)
The Runway: Mark a "Launch Line" with masking tape. Lay out a 15-meter track with tape markers every 1 meter.

Target Zone: Secure a hula hoop to a chair or hang it from a basketball hoop for the Carrier Deck event.

Resource Stations: Divide the hall into three folding stations. Place the printed instruction sheets and paper at each.

Station A: Speedsters (Distance)

Station B: Gliders (Airtime)

Station C: Mavericks (Stunts)

2. Managing the R&D Phase (19:40 – 20:10)
The "15cm Rule": Give each Scout a single 15cm strip of masking tape. They must decide how to ration it across their three planes.

Quality Control: Leaders should walk around and check for Symmetry. If a plane isn't symmetrical, it won't fly straight.

The Thumbnail Trick: Encourage Scouts to use their thumbnail to make every fold "razor sharp."

3. Running the Derby (20:10 – 20:40)
The Batch Method: To keep it safe, have Scouts launch in "waves" (e.g., 5 at a time).

Safety Marshal: One leader must act as the "Air Traffic Controller." No one retrieves a plane until the "All Clear" is called.

Scoring: Assign one leader to the stopwatch (Airtime) and one to the tape measure (Distance). Record scores immediately on the Patrol Scoring Sheet.

4. Technical Support (The "Flight Surgeon")
If a Scout is frustrated because their plane is failing, use these three quick fixes:

The Dive Fix: Bend the back edges of the wings UP (Elevators).

The Stall Fix: Bend the back edges of the wings DOWN or add a tape "weight" to the nose.

The Spiral Fix: Ensure the wings have a Dihedral Angle—they should look like a wide "Y" from the front, not a flat "T".

Tags

• Air Acctivities
• Air Activities - types of aircraft
• Air Activities - build a model
• Creative Activity Badge
• paper aeroplanes
• paper craft

Badge Links

• Air Activities - Control Surfaces
• Air Activities - Forces
• Air Activities - Paper
• Air Activities - Parts
• Creative - Activity
• Creative - Model