The Pop Can Flyer is deceptively simple: Take a regular aluminum can, trim off the ends, and now you have an unlikely aircraft capable of eerily long, straight flights. While the building is straightforward, the physics of the craft are a bit trickier and pretty interesting. At the very least, the tools and supplies are almost universally available, and a few Pop Can Flyers can keep cranky nephews busy for at least an hour. As a bonus, this project includes instructions for making NASA’s Finest Paper Airplane, which benefits from the same design properties as the Pop Can Flyer.

Figure 19-1. The finished Pop Can Flyer