Guinness World Record ends 13-year German reign after hand-built glider flies 59 metres.A team of engineering students from the University of Pisa has broken the Guinness World Record for the largest paper aeroplane, ending a title held since 2013 by Germany's Braunschweig Institute of Technology.  Built entirely by hand from paper and glue, the aircraft has a wingspan of just over 20 metres and measures seven metres in length.   On its record attempt, it flew a distance of 59 metres, surpassing the previous record-holder's wingspan of 18.21 metres. Icarus The achievement was the result of "Icarus", a project developed by engineering students at the University of Pisa with the support of science YouTuber and content creator Jakidale.   The record was officially certified on 25 June at the WMF – We Make Future technology fair in Bologna.   Un gruppo di studenti di Ingegneria dell'Università di Pisa ha realizzato l'aeroplano di carta più grande del mondo, conquistando il Guinness World Records. Il velivolo, costruito interamente a mano utilizzando esclusivamente carta e colla, ha un'apertura alare di 20,04 metri,… pic.twitter.com/9nyEH2gM6k — Sky tg24 (@SkyTG24) July 2, 2026   Describing the origins of the project, the students said it began almost as a joke, with paper planes thrown between lectures.   They said they became convinced that, with the right approach, a sheet of paper could become genuine engineering, and that months of study, simulation, mistakes and fresh starts followed before they succeeded in bringing the world record back to Italy.   The German record was reached 13 years ago by students and staff at Braunschweig using around 70 square metres of paper and hundreds of tubes of glue, and had stood unbeaten until now.