Italian Students Build 65-Foot Paper Plane, Break Record

What started as friends folding paper planes between classes at the University of Pisa ended with a 65-foot aircraft soaring into the record books.

A team of Italian aerospace engineering students, working as Project Icarus alongside engineering creator Jakidale, built what Guinness World Records now recognizes as the world's largest paper airplane. Named Icarus after the Greek myth, the massive craft measured over 23 feet long with a wingspan of about 65.75 feet.

On June 25, the team launched their creation at the We Make Future technology expo in Bologna, Italy. The paper and glue aircraft glided nearly 200 feet through the air, successfully demonstrating that even simple materials can achieve stable flight when paired with solid engineering.

The achievement knocked Germany's Braunschweig Institute of Technology out of the top spot. That previous record had stood since 2013, making this the first time in over a decade that Italy held the title.

But getting there took more than enthusiasm. The students spent months developing computer models, building prototypes, and testing different designs before settling on their final version. The completed aircraft weighed about 63 pounds and required a large indoor venue just to get it airborne.

Why This Inspires

This project proves that world-changing ideas don't always need fancy equipment or massive budgets. These students took something we've all done since elementary school and asked a simple question: how far could we push this?

Their answer required persistence, scientific analysis, and collaboration with volunteers who believed in the vision. The team showed that curiosity combined with engineering know-how can transform a casual hobby into something extraordinary.

The students wanted to demonstrate that basic materials paired with determination could produce remarkable results, and they delivered exactly that.

Italy now holds the paper airplane record again, thanks to a group of students who never stopped asking "what if?"