The seven University of Pisa students, who named their plane Icarus, after the figure from Greek mythology who famously flew too close to the Sun, built a paper airplane 7 meters (23 feet) in length, with a wingspan of 20 meters (65.5 feet). The construction weighed 28.5 kilograms (nearly 63 pounds).

They used 300 kilograms (661 pounds) of paper and 60 kilograms (132 pounds) of glue to construct the plane. Icarus was the final model. They ran computer simulations along the way and build a prototype named Prometheus (another Greek mythological figure, known as the bringer of fire to humanity) and another one named Daedalus (father of Icarus). They considered a few different designs but decided on a model that resembled a honeycomb, in order to hold down the weight while increasing strength. They had lots of help along the way, from friends.

But building it wasn't enough. The Guinness standard for the category is that the plane has to be launched by a single person and then glide through the air for a minimum of 15 meters (49 feet). So on June 25, one of the students did just that, and they all cheered as the plane flew for 59 meters (193 feet).

The existing record was set in 2013, by a group from Germany, at the Braunschweig Institute of Technology. That plane weighed far less (24 kilograms) and flew far less (18 meters).