Folding-Wing Glider: Rockets Up … Glides Down!

By Rick Schertle for MAKE

As a kid, I remember my dad talking about this seemingly magical balsa wood rocket glider. With the wings folded back, the glider shot into the air using a hand held rubber band attached to a stick catapult. Wind resistance held the wings back, then when the glider reached its peak, the wings popped open for a long and graceful glide down. Especially exciting to me, was when the glider began to wear out, he would attach a fire cracker to it and then launch it into a shower of balsa wood confetti glory.

To view the full article that includes the steps on how to build the folding-wing glider, please click here!

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