This Flying IKEA Chair Is the Answer to a Question Nobody Asked

In the early days of aviation, just getting an airplane-shaped airplane off the ground was a major achievement. But, we’ve come a really long way, and now you can find RC planes and drones in just about every form imaginable. The guys over at FliteTest on YouTube have taken that concept to an extreme with their flying IKEA chair, and it’s definitely an achievement the Wright brothers would have found astounding.

While the airplane they built isn’t capable of flying with someone actually sitting in the chair, it’s still very impressive. They started with a lightweight wood chair from IKEA, just like the kind you’d use at your dining room table. Then, in just six hours, they turned it into a radio-controlled airplane that is capable of soaring through the sky.

Almost as amazing as the concept of a flying chair itself is the construction. The entire thing is made from just rods, cables, and cardboard. Even the wings are simply cardboard that was folded to create the shape necessary to generate lift. Despite those remarkably low-cost materials and the rapid design and construction, the Chairplane is fully capable of flight. Not only that, but it actually seems to fly surprisingly well — proving that pretty much anything can be an airplane.