Fitchburg Hopes To Set Largest Paper Airplane World Record

FITCHBURG, MA (WBZ-AM) – Fitchburg used to have a big paper industry. Now they're going to try to set a world record for the largest paper airplane.

This weekend at the city's airport construction teams will be attaching the wings to the 64- foot plane for an effort dubbed “Project Soar.”

Jerry Beck is the project manager and says Fitchburg jumped in with both feet on this one

“it's just the kind of get everybody in the city animated and focused and believing that we can all contribute to the betterment of our city,” Beck said.

There is also some history attached to the project. The plane contains paper from the last rolls from the Cracker Paper Company before it went out of business.

 “I just kind of went in there and talked to the people and just convince them to give me a couple rounds of it that I can carry away that to work with kids on you know it from Fitchburg and so they were generous enough to give me some you know big rolls whatever I could carry” Beck said.

More than 5,000 students, artists citizens, businesses and civic leaders have been involved in the project.

The record is held in Germany with a nearly 60-foot paper airplane that flew five years ago. Fitchburg hopes the new record will belong to them. An attempt at flight will take place on June 12,

WBZ NewsRadio1030’s Ben Parker reports.