By Ken Blackburn & Jeff Lammers
Workman Publishing, $15.95, 78 pages
The 1999 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records states that Ken Blackburn set the record for “flight duration for a paper aircraft over level ground.” In other words, Ken’s paper airplane soared through the air for 27.6 seconds! Most people will never know the work it took to win the title. Now you can when you read The World Record Paper Airplane Book by Ken Blackburn and Jeff Lammers. The book includes a full history of Ken’s quest to break the record. He provides fascinating insight into aerodynamics, finding out how to fly your planes with precision. He gives tips so you can fold with accuracy and even design your own paper airplane models. The best part of the book is the folding instructions that are provided for twenty of the most successful models. You’ll find a flight log and runway to use during practice. Blackburn and Lammers have included high quality folding paper (four pieces for each of the twenty designs). All you have to do is decide whether to start with The Phantom, The Spitfire, The Falcon, or The Vertex. Get ready to fly those planes. Maybe we’ll see your name as the next Guinness World Record holder.
Reviewed by Elizabeth Franklin