Artist spends five years crafting 'World's best paper Plane'

When most people think of paper planes, they think of folding an A4 sheet, throwing it and watching it 'fly' for a couple of seconds. 

Not Luca Iaconi-Stewart - who has spent five years building this Boeing 777-300ER scale model using nothing but paper folders.

After taking a two-year break from the project while at school, he has pretty much devoted his time to constructing the plane, which even most most aviation buffs would be stretched to find fault with.

The static 1:60 scale model comes complete with tiny seats, overhead compartments, landing gears, engines, and video screens on the back of each chair, all made completely out of paper.

His incredible model has been a real labour of love - the seats alone took an entire summer to craft, with the economy seats taking 20 minutes each.

Luca got the inspiration to build the plane when he was still in high school. He said: 'I took an architecture class that really inspired me - we learned to make simple manila folder models of our building ideas.

'I took the idea a step further and began work on this plane, though I never anticipated it reaching its present level of complexity.

'I chose this particular plane because I think it's well proportioned and structurally beautiful in many ways.'

The scale model is of a Boeing 777-300ER

The plane is made from paper folders 

Luca spent five years designing and constructing the plane 
The 22-year-old understands that aviation may be a strange hobby, and he could be considered a 'nut' but knows people far crazier than himself.

'I know most people probably wouldn't relate, but there's a certain thrill to seeing something come together exactly as you intended,' he added.

'There's something really satisfying about looking at a bunch of pictures, planning a component out, designing it, and then assembling it accurately.'

After using 'easily hundreds' of folders on the project, Luca hasn't yet decided what he will do next, but has ruled out the possibility of starting another model for now.

Luca has lost count of the amount of folders used to design the plane, saying it was easily hundreds 

The scale model comes complete with tiny seats, overhead compartments,  landing gears, and meticulously made engines. …

He explained: 'I have no idea what's next, but probably not another model, at least not anytime soon.

'In principle, I'd love to tackle a much larger model, but this current project has been so draining that I would hesitate to start something even more complex.'

'I'd love to have it (the model) somewhere where people can see it in person; pictures only do it so much justice.'

Nice job. Keep it up Luca!