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Air of the Wolf

Cub Scouts · Adventure, Elective

Printable worksheet (PDF)

Air of the Wolf is about making things fly. You'll build paper airplanes, test them like a scientist, and invent your own flying machine. Every crash teaches you something new.

Why it's worth it

Air of the Wolf turns you into a flight scientist. You'll fold paper airplanes, test them the way real engineers do, and write down what happens. Then you'll change the design and see if you can beat your own record. People who build real airplanes and rockets work the same way: try it, measure it, change one thing, and try again.

Start this week

  1. Fold one paper airplane today using a design you already know.
  2. Find a tape measure and a timer, like a kitchen timer or a stopwatch.
  3. Pick a test spot without wind, like a hallway, garage, or gym.
  4. Make a chart with columns for flight number, distance, and time.

Requirements · 4

Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab).

  1. Requirement 1

    Make a paper airplane, fly it five times, and record each flight's distance and time

    Tip: Fold your plane, then measure each flight with a tape measure and time it with a stopwatch.

    For example: Your chart might show five flights of a dart-shaped plane: 12 feet in 1 second, 15 feet in 2 seconds, and so on. Throw the same way every time so the test is fair.

  2. Requirement 2

    Make a paper airplane of a different design, fly it five times, and record each flight's distance and time

    Tip: Try a new design, like wider wings or a pointy nose. Fly it five times too.

    For example: Try a glider with wide, flat wings. It may not go as far, but it might stay in the air longer. Fly it five times from the same spot.

  3. Requirement 3

    Compare and contrast the two airplanes' flight distances and times

    Tip: Make a simple chart and compare. Which plane went farther or stayed up longer, and why?

    For example: Compare your charts: "The dart went farther, but the glider stayed up longer." Then guess why. Maybe the wide wings caught more air.

  4. Requirement 4

    Build something that flies that is not a paper airplane

    Tip: Try a paper helicopter, a straw rocket, or a kite.

    For example: Build a paper helicopter that spins as it falls, a straw rocket you launch with a puff of air, or a parachute made from a plastic bag for a small toy.

Places to visit

Ask an adult to set it up, and go with your family, den, patrol, or crew.

  • An air and space museum or an airport viewing area

    Seeing real wings, propellers, and engines shows how the planes you fold are related to the big ones.

    How: Have your adult check the museum's website for family days, or go with your den. Some airports have a public spot to watch planes take off.

Talk about it together

  • Which plane did you think would win before you tested it?
  • What did you change, and what happened when you did?
  • What was the hardest part of keeping your test fair?
  • If you could build any flying machine, what would it do?

Good questions to ask a pilot or engineer

  • How do wings hold a heavy airplane up in the air?
  • What did you build or fly when you were a kid?
  • What happens when an airplane flies into strong wind?

Helpful reads

For leaders & parents

  • Use a gym or hallway so wind doesn't spoil the tests.
  • Give each scout a simple data sheet to record flights.

People & places that can help

Pairs well with

Counts toward

More Wolf adventures

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Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.