PowerUp 4.0 is a paper airplane with flight computer you control using your phone

No matter how amazing your folding skills, paper airplanes are a disappointment. Lob. Wait a bit. Crash. But with PowerUp 4.0 (from $49), your creations can soar through the air, by way of an onboard flight computer controlled by your phone. This fourth iteration of PowerUp has a 70m range and ten-minute flight time, and can achieve speeds of up to 20mph. A combination of gyro, accelerometer, and thrust vectoring motors lets you perform all manner of amazing tricks, auto-stabilising your craft even if your idea of a paper plane is quite literally folding a sheet of A4 in half. PowerUp 4.0 can fly more than just paper, too – card; balsa wood; foam; a lettuce leaf (seriously – it’s in the Kickstarter video). You can also go pro for $79 to get bling LEDs for night flights, along with a set of wheels so you can do snazzy take-offs and landings – and then mull over that paper airplanes were never this cool when you were a kid.

Craig Grannell Contributor

About

I’m a regular contributor to Stuff magazine and Stuff.tv, covering apps, games, Apple kit, Android, Lego, retro gaming and other interesting oddities. I also pen opinion pieces when the editor lets me, getting all serious about accessibility and predicting when sentient AI smart cookware will take over the world, in a terrifying mix of Bake Off and Terminator.

Areas of expertise

Mobile apps and games, Macs, iOS and tvOS devices, Android, retro games, crowdfunding, design, how to fight off an enraged smart saucepan with a massive stick.