Anyone can make a paper airplane in just a few seconds, but the meticulous paper model of a Boeing 777-300ER built by designer Luca Iaconi-Stewart took thousands of hours over nearly 10 years. “I really enjoy the sense of calm and mediation that it brings when I really get into the building process,” Iaconi-Stewart told Wired recently. “It’s really exhilarating when you get to the end and you see a component coming to life.” The details in the 1:60 scale model include all 300 seats in the cabin, rudder pedals in the cockpit and landing gear that retracts, all of it constructed from manila folders and glue.
Stories about the project led to an invitation from Boeing to visit the factory, and a contract from Singapore Airlines to build a model for an ad campaign. Iaconi-Stewart, who is based in the Bay Area in California, is now working on the wings, which he says will take a few years. “I’m not sure why I’m so interested in airplanes,” he told Wired. “They’re so advanced and complex. They’re a testament to human ingenuity.” He has posted a series of videos online showing the details of the project as he creates and tests the landing gear, cargo doors and more.
