Carnegie Mellon University
March 29, 2013

Media Advisory: Steinbrenner Institute To Kick Off Environmental Expo With Demos by World Champion Paper Airplane Pilot

Contact: Chriss Swaney / 412-268-5776 / swaney@andrew.cmu.edu

Event: John Collins, the Guinness Book world-record holder for flying paper airplanes the farthest distance, will kick off the second annual Steinbrenner Institute Environmental Expo with elaborate demos of amazing flying machines made out of paper.

For more than 40 years, Collins has been using the art of origami to influence his designs. He borrows techniques that help create the perfect balance to create sleek paper aircraft. His new book, "The World Champion Paper Airplane" with tear-out planes to fold and fly, will be available at the expo, where CMU students from the departments of Mechanical Engineering and Civil and Environmental Engineering will get to test fly some of his world's most innovative paper aircraft.    

"These exciting paper airplane demos are a great way to better understand aerodynamics and to focus attention on the environment in which we work and play," said Jayon Wang, a senior mechanical engineering major from Bethesda, Md., and a leader of CMU's student chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).  

The expo also will showcase university-wide environmental art and design, and service and research projects with a sustainability theme.

When: 2 - 5 p.m., Wednesday, April 24.

Where: Rangos 2 and 3, University Center, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa. 15213.

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