Carl Rankin makes these planes from everyday materials such as straws, trash bags, tape, thread, and offers on his site rather inexpensive books and Cd guides to creating these doubly-inexpensive works of wonder.
His gossamer-winged “Jules Verne” can be seen in greater detail at Flying Puppets, and can be seen in action at BoingBoing.
*Story Lead Credit: Thank you Travis Fessler of the brilliant and talented Anachronistic Entertainment Troupe: The Pickled Brothers
The Jules Verne
* 56″ wingspan
* 14 ounces flying weight, 1.7 oz/ square foot wingloading.
* Made of drinking straws, tape, thread and yellow Reynolds sandwich wrap.
* This plane flew at the 2007 AMA convention.
* Carl Rankin’s picture is in the May 2007 Model Aviation Magazine, pg. 20 (holding the Jules Verne and wearing a Transmitter Tray by Jeff Sandler (rctraymanusa.com).