Do you like medieval times where humans would use crossbows? well introducing you to the crossbow paper airplane!!! Just using your creativity, time, and some rubber bands you could make yourself a 3D crossbow. I attend Herricks High School, New York as a sophomore wanting to learn more about 3D designing and the process of it.

Supplies

Supplies:

Computer

3D printer

Rubberbands

Paper

Fusion 360

Step 1: Engineering Process

First you would want to go through each step provided in the picture above

Define the problem: I am trying to design an paper airplane that you can control the distance of how far you want the paper airplane to go

Brainstorm possible solutions: I could make a RC airplane or a paper airplane launcher

Research Ideas/ explore: I looked on youtube to look at different variations of paper airplanes that best suited my design.

Establish criteria and constraints: I had to make the project before oct 2nd and the 3D printer was 9in by 9in so I had to design around that area

Consider Alternate Solutions: I could make my project out of wood but I have no experience in wood crafting nether does my friends at school

Select an approach: to help make this project come to life I would need fusion 360 to help me with a start up model

Develop a design proposal: I’ve come up with a few different models but the one that stuck out to me was the crossbow

Make a Model or Prototype: With this part my teacher help me print out my prototype because I don’t own a 3D printer

Test and evaluate: Before I start to test my 3D prototype I have to first remove the support of the model, add the rubber bands to the model, then assemble the paper airplane, after all the preparation I launch the airplane and watch it fly

Refine and Design: I looked at some of the flaws that the 3D model had and try to improve the model for example the first model I did was to short and to small for my hand

Create the Solution: I start from base 1 but instead of adding anything I dilated to make the model bigger then went back to the Test and Evaluate step

Communicate the results: After all the steps I Talk to different people and see their ideas and how I could improve my model and go back to square one and implement it to my model.

Step 2: The Brainstorming

For this step I use my creativity and drew any paper airplane launcher that came into my mind

Step 3: Designing

For this step I took my drawing and started to make it into fusion 360. I used basic shapes like a oblique circle for the arm rester and a long skinny rectangle for the arms of the model

Step 4: Print

For this step all you would need to do is take out the support of the 3D model that might have been added and attach the rubberband to the paper airplane launcher

Step 5: Make the Airplane

For this step I looked on youtube because personally I can't make paper airplanes and find the one that best fitted my model. The paper airplane I chose had a hook at the bottom of it so it can hook onto the rubber band so you can watch it fly.