World's largest paper airplane flies over desert
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Arturo Valdenegro, posing with the giant paper airplane based on his design
Arturo’s Desert Eagle, being air-lifted to its release altitude
Arturo’s Desert Eagle, being air-lifted to its release altitude
Arturo’s Desert Eagle, being lifted off the ground for its flight
The ground crew, readying Arturo’s Desert Eagle for its flight
Article Summary
At a length of 45 feet (13.7 meters), a wingspan of 24 feet (7.3 m), and a weight of 800 pounds (363 kg), Arturo’s Desert Eagle is claimed to be the largest paper airplane ever made. Its design was based on that of a much smaller paper airplane, created by 12 year-old Arturo Valdenegro of Tucson, Arizona. Valdenegro was the winner of a contest held by the Pima Air & Space Museum, in which children competed to see whose airplane could fly the farthest. A team of engineers proceeded to recreate his winning plane on a grand scale, and last week managed to fly it after releasing it from a helicopter over the Arizona desert.
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