The Paper Aircraft Released Into Space (PARIS) team is picking up the pace ahead of a slated launch of the Vulture 1 aircraft sometime between 16 - 22 October.

Delays in putting together and testing the vital plane release mechanism have knocked back the launch date somewhat, but with the necessary official permissions in place and a bit of luck with the weather, it should be good to go on those dates.

The Vulture 1, meanwhile, is about to sprout wings and a tail ahead of initial flight testing. Constructing an aircraft entirely from paper - and which has to ascend to 20,000 metres - has proved a real challenge.

However, the aircraft is almost ready to roll, and vital balloon and parachute supplies are jetting in from the US as the electronics team tweaks the onboard GPS units, cameras, and all the other bits and pieces which will record the record-breaking launch.