The Spirit of St. Louis: Make a paper airplane
Build your own version of Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis airplane out of paper!
Today, as we climb aboard giant state-of-the-art airplanes to crisscross continents, it’s hard to imagine how we got to this point. Modern air travel amenities now include everything from bathrooms to beds! But once upon a time, people didn’t need gourmet food and brand-name toiletries to get excited about flying; they were impressed by the “simple” suspension of heavier-than-air machines.
In 1927, American Charles Lindbergh became the first pilot of a solo nonstop transatlantic flight. Lindbergh piloted his now-famous Spirit of St. Louis monoplane from New York to Paris. The Spirit of St. Louis was airborne for over 33 hours, and Lindbergh travelled some 3,600 miles alone.
Let’s return to that feeling of awe for humble accomplishments by recreating Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis airplane as a model paper plane! Click the image above to open a great paper plane template from Paper Models Inc. Then fold along the dotted lines, glue the edges and prepare for takeoff!