A former pilot has launched a gadget that transforms the humble paper aeroplane into a remote controlled aircraft that can be steered by a smartphone.

Called PowerUp 3.0, the battery-powered unit has a propeller on one end and a receive on the other.

It can be fitted to any paper aeroplane and then controlled by a smartphone app, letting users adjust the direction of the plane by tilting their phone.

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A former pilot from Israel has created a gadget for paper planes. The plane is driven and controlled by a mobile phone app (shown). Entrepreneur Shai Goitein came up with the idea after spending 15 years behind the controls of aeroplanes as a cargo pilot

Entrepreneur Shai Goitein came up with the idea after spending 15 years behind the controls of aeroplanes as a cargo pilot.

Mr Goitein, 44, says he had a eureka moment while teaching youngsters the basic principals of aerodynamics using paper aeroplanes, and set about inventing a device to control them with.

The result is the PowerUp 3.0, which can fly for 10 minutes at a time, and has a range of 180ft (55 metres) using Bluetooth technology.

HOW THE SMART PLANE WORKS Fold It: Simply fold a piece of copier paper into a paper airplane Attach It: Attach the Smart Module to your paper plane with the patented clips underneath the Smart Module. Connect It: Start the app to connect to the Smart Module with your iPhone. Fly It: Push throttle to full and launch the paper airplane high up into the sky. Tilt your smartphone to the left or to the right to steer your plane, increase or reduce throttle to go up or down. Advertisement

Mr Goitein, from Haifa, Israel, said: 'PowerUp 3.0 combines the simplicity of classic hand-folded paper aeroplanes with state-of-the-art Bluetooth technology.

'It transforms a paper glider into a high performance and easy-to-fly remote-controlled aircraft, capable of flying for more than 10 consecutive minutes.

'PowerUp 3.0 allows enthusiasts to enjoy all the features of more expensive remote-controlled gadgets, but with their own folded creations - all made from standard paper, no less,'

Mr Goitein explains that with a smartphone and the PowerUp app, users can alter the engine thrust and change the pitch of the upgraded paper plane.

They can also move the rudder of the plane left and right to steer it through the air.

The PowerUp 3.0 is a simple battery-powered unit with a propeller on one end and a receiver on the other than can be fitted to any paper aeroplane. The plane can then be controlled by a smartphone app which allows the user to adjust its direction by tilting their phone. It can be charged via a USB cable (shown)

'All over the world, paper planes are a source of joy, yet they have their own limitations - they can't fly for more than a few seconds, and there's no way to control their flight path,' he continues.

'PowerUp Toys connect past time origami classics with cutting-edge technology.

'They create a gravity-defying experience that takes flight to its roots.

'In the age of 50-tonne airships it's easy to feel like flight is something that's best left alone to pros and to engineers but it's not.

'Our goal is to make you feel like the Wright brothers when Flyer I took to the skies.

'Our mission is to bring the magic of flight to everyone by combining timeless home-made toys with cutting-edge technology.'