Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

I'm doing a school project and I intend to do a research on Glider.
I've seen an article called What Makes a Good Aerodynamic Design? Test Your Ideas with High-Performance Paper Gliders (https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... er-gliders).I am deeply impressed and I want to conduct it precisely like an aeroplane engineer.Actually we care more about balance when we make a paper aeroplane,but would it be possible to take lift-drag ratio into account.I mean measuring the lift-drag ratio of each aeroplane and calculate how far it will go.

Administrator note: link problem corrected

Hi, seems like you are on the right track! I suggest you find out how to roughly estimate as well as measure the ratio.

Thank you very much!
I have no idea about Aerodynamics but I think it will be hare to estimate it. Is using a wind tunnel the only way possible?Besides I am curious about how aeroplane designers do the research on jets.Is there anyone major in Aeronautics who can help me?