Thunderbirds

www.PaperAircrafts.
com
PaperAircrafts.com
F-16 Thunderbirds
Build an easy paper jet model with your hands, some
scissors, two rules and some glue !
Check your handiwork skill !
Challenge a child to build it !
Assemble one as a gift for someone !
Collect the most famous jets in the world !
Once built, fly it !
Print in sheet 1, page 7, in sheet 2 page 8 and opposite 8, in sheet

3 page 9 and opposite 9, and in sheet 4 page 10. Cut parts, fold on
the lines to give shape and paste with glue. The plane is balanced
and should fly with minor aerodynamic adjustments.
Whole process from assembly to flying is detailed in this document.
PaperAircrafts.com presents a flying paper-plane that attempts to

replicate as simple as possible the famous Lockheed Martin F-16
decorated as a “Thunderbird”.
The Thunderbirds are the U.S. Air Force’s aerobatics and flight
demonstration team. Since 1953 they have flown using different
aircrafts: F-84G Thunderjet, F-84F Thunderstreak, F-100 Super
Sabre, F-105B Thunderchief, F-4E Phantom II, T-38A Talon, F16
Fighting Falcon.
Enjoy !
1
www.PaperAircrafts.com
Index
How to build it………………...3

Parts………………………......7
Assembling………………….11
How to fly it…………..……...16
Note about printing Parts…..22
Copyright Notice
All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical. Any unauthorized use, sharing,
reproduction, or distribution of parts herein is strictly prohibited. The buyer of this
ebook may print as many copies as he want for his personal use.
Legal Notice
While attempts have been made to verify the correctness and reliability of the
information provided in this document, the author do not assume any responsibilities
for errors, omissions, or contradictory information contained in this publication.
The reader of this book assumes all responsibility and liability for the use of the
information and materials described in it, (like glue or scissors).
2
How to build it
tools
3
! Note about Glue
Before start
pasteing the aircraft,
check your glue:
Spread some glue
in a sheet of paper
and wait some
minutes. If the
paper gets wrinkled
or wavy, then, that
glue is not valid for
paper; the aircraft
would be deformed.
Suitable glues could
be “transparent
contact glue” usually
for repairing shoes.
√ X
4
Print pages 7, 8, 9
and 10 in common
paper A4 or Regular
Letter. Print at scale
100% to avoid parts
distortion and using
option ”Auto-rotate
and center pages”.
Do not “fit to page”
or “shrink to page”.
Cut the parts over
the external lines.
Fold over the lines

with the help of
the rules to
achieve the shape
of each part.
Note that you can
bend the paper on
the lines with the
help of the rules,
(to the opposite
side) and after it,
with your fingers,
on the same line,
to the correct side
to achieve the final
piece shape.
5
Paste the parts puting glue in the overlaping

surfaces.
X
Put little amount of glue. Otherwise, the aircraft
would look ugly and it would weight too much.
√
6
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UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
How to fly it
elevators
ailerons
flaps
leading edge flaps

(LE flaps)
1 Aerodynamic cleanness
Elevators and wing must be
X √
parallel. If the surfaces are
bent, force the paper with your
fingers trying to straighten
them. The aircraft could have
defects, but they must be
symmetrical.
16
2 Aircraft balanced
Rest the aircraft on two fingers so that the wing’s circles

get positioned just over them. If it keeps levelled and
does not fall…it is balanced.
√ Ready to fly
If it falls forward, the nose is

too heavy. Remove part or
whole piece 1
If it falls backward, it needs

more weight in the nose. Did
you paste the parts 1 and 2 ?
Add part or a whole piece 1.
17
It is easier to throw the

3 Throwing aircraft keeping it on the
sight line and impelling it
on his longitudinal axis.
1.
2.
X
1. 2. 1. 2.
Once the easy

throwing is well
trained, try to
launch over head
X for a longer flight
3.
3.
√
18
4 Correcting the flight path:

Pitch
If the aircraft pitchs down going to the ground, deflect upward

gently the elevators. Repeat the flight. If it keeps going down,
deflect the elevators upward a little more until the aircraft went
straight gliding.
If the gliding path osciles

like above… the elevators
may be too much deflected
upward. Reduce the
elevators upward deflection.
In this case the nose still needs a little

more weight. Cut a triangular piece of
paper and paste it in the nose
19
+
If you achieve to stabilize the glide path but it is too inclined
downward… the nose may be too heavy. Remove part of piece
1 and reduce the elevators upward deflection.
Correcting the flight path: direction
To correct the turn, deflect the ailerons asymmetricaly like

each picture shows but very gently. The deflection in the
pictures is exaggerated; you would obtain the opposite efect.
20
5 Advanced Flight
Once you have calibrated the glide path in pitch and direction,
you can try different aircraft performances.
“Cruise”: The aircraft will

pitch down,
oppose it, rising
the elevators a
Deflect down little.
the LE flaps a
little.
The aircraft will fly more smoothly
“Approach”:
Compensate the
pitch down,
Deflect a little more rising the
the LE flaps and elevators if
also the Flaps, (in needed.
both wings). The aircraft will fly slower.
“Landing”
Compensate the
pitch down,
rising the
elevators if
needed.
Deflect down the flaps
significantly, (both wings).
The aircraft will fly more slowly with a shorter glide path.
21
Note about printing Parts

There are six pages with parts to be printed on four sheets
of paper. Pages opposite 8 and opposite 9 must be printed
behind page 8 and 9 in order to the plane was correctly
decorated. Check option “Auto-rotate and center pages” but
do not “fit to page” or “shrink to page”. Pages 7,8, 9 and 10
must be printed with 100% scale to avoid parts distortion. If
you want to print the rest of pages use “fit to page” option.
Page 7 Sheet 1 Page 8 Sheet 2 Page

opposite 8
Page 9 Sheet 3 Page Sheet 4

Page 10
opposite 9
If you want to build a static model (not to fly) you could print on a
high quality paper in high resolution. But if you want a flying model
it is better to use normal paper printed in low resolution for saving
weight and avoiding wrinkling the paper with excess of ink.
22

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www.PaperAircrafts.

Print in sheet 1, page 7, in sheet 2 page 8 and opposite 8, in sheet

PaperAircrafts.com presents a flying paper-plane that attempts to

How to build it………………...3

! Note about Glue

Fold over the lines

Paste the parts puting glue in the overlaping

leading edge flaps

Elevators and wing must be

Rest the aircraft on two fingers so that the wing’s circles

If it falls forward, the nose is

If it falls backward, it needs

It is easier to throw the

Once the easy

X for a longer flight

4 Correcting the flight path:

If the aircraft pitchs down going to the ground, deflect upward

If the gliding path osciles

In this case the nose still needs a little

Correcting the flight path: direction

To correct the turn, deflect the ailerons asymmetricaly like

“Cruise”: The aircraft will

The aircraft will fly more smoothly

Note about printing Parts

Page 7 Sheet 1 Page 8 Sheet 2 Page

Page 9 Sheet 3 Page Sheet 4

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