Who Needs an RC Plane When You Can Make a KFC Plane?

Shelby Rogers

There's nothing better than some delicious KFC wings, except maybe using KFC chicken buckets in place of wings. Peter Sripol decided to use empty KFC buckets to build a functional RC plane. As crazy as it sounded, it worked.

The plane's functionality comes from a physics concept called the Magnus Effect. Simply put, the Magnus Effect says that the force put on a rapidly spinning spherical or cylindrical object will travel in a parabolic arc. It curves away from its flight path. If you're a basketball fan, then you're already familiar with the Magnus effect. Most players utilize it throughout the game to put just the right amount of spin on the ball, especially at the free throw line.

Sripol's plane design uses the same principle on its cylindrical wings. While the KFC buckets might not be the most efficient when it comes to aspect ratio and proportions, the idea is certainly entertaining.

If you want to know more about Sripol's building process, watch the entire 18-minute video. (You'll also get some pretty great puns thrown in.) However, if you just want to watch the flight trials, start at the 10-minute mark.

Via Peter Sripol

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