2torial #0646:
Learn2 Make Paper Airplanes

This 2torial honors and improves that time-honored tradition of basic aeronautics, the paper airplane. Here are two great methods of transforming a page of standard stationery into flight-worthy designs. Following these plans will also serve as a basic lesson in aerodynamics as well.

Paper dimensions will be more important than size. This 2torial will assume you're using 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper but satisfactory results can be obtained using either smaller or larger sheets. Remember that thickness is also a dimension of paper. Smaller sheets of paper can be thinner without compromising performance. Larger sheets should be thicker in order to hold a stiff enough surface to fly. A large, very thin sheet of paper will produce a floppy model.

Sit down at a table with enough space to set your paper down. You want a firm, smooth area to work on. By taking care that the folds are straight and sharp, you'll increase your chances of making a straight-flying model.

For the purposes of this 2torial, let's fold the paper either the long way (the fold extends to the short edges) or the short way (the fold extends to the long edges). These terms should also cover those of us with metric paper or odd-sized rejection slips.

For both models described below, start with the paper lying the long way. (Hold the paper with the long edges vertical, and then place iton the table.) It's easier to make the folds this way.

Method 1: The Flying Dart

The Flying Dart is probably the most common paper airplane. If you already know this one you may want to skip down to the Glider, or just tag along to brush up on your Dart finesse.

Making sharp folds is crucial for quality airplane design. However, be certain the fold is in the right place, because a well-creased but misplaced fold can cause other flight problems.

Method 2: The Basic Glider

This airplane requires a few more folds than the Dart to hold it all together, but the Glider will hang in the air much longer and perform better. One distinctive feature of this airplane is its blunt-ended nose.

Method 1: The Flying Dart

Make the body folds

• Fold the paper the long way. Bend the page until the opposite corners meet. Crease the fold flat with the palm of your other hand. Run your thumbnail along the crease to make it sharp. Now open the paper again. You've just marked the two halves of the airplane and made the center crease (the bottom of the airplane). From now on, each side of the airplane should look like a mirror image of the other side.
• Fold one corner into the middle. The short edge, from the corner to the center crease, will line up along the center crease. Hold the short edge down with one hand and crease the fold with your other hand. On the other side of the crease, fold the opposite corner so that the short edges just barely meet at the center crease.

• Fold the same corners again. That's right, fold one diagonal edge down to meet the center crease. Hold it down and crease. Repeat the same step on the other side. The two folds should line up along the center crease and barely touch each other. This will produce a sharp point on the front of the plane.
• Fold the plane along the center crease. The two halves should line up exactly. If they don't, well, take this one as a learning experience, and pay close attention to how it flies.

Make the wing folds

Take up the diagonal edge that's lifting towards you. Fold it down to meet the center crease. (Don't fold it inwards--it should meet the external edge of the center crease.) This will establish one wing. Hold it down with one hand and crease. Take care that you don't line up the rear, unfolded tip of the wing with the center crease. It's the diagonal edge that needs to line up with the external center crease.

 

Flip the airplane over and repeat the wing fold. Fold the diagonal edge over so it's even with the center crease. Now you should have the two wings. Skip to Step 4 for flight instructions.

Method 2: The Basic Glider

Make the basic body folds

Fold the paper the long way, just as you did for the first two steps of the Dart. If you didn't make the Dart, fold the paper and line up the corners so that they're on top of each other. Hold the two long ends down with one hand and crease the paper with you other hand. Use your fingernail or a ruler to get a really sharp crease. Now open the paper. You've just created the center crease of the airplane. From now on, each side should look like a mirror image of the other side. This ensures that the plane will fly straight.

• Fold one corner into the middle: the short edge, from the corner to the center crease, will line up along the crease. Hold the short edge down with one hand and crease the fold with your other hand. On the other side of the crease, fold the opposite corner so that the short edges just barely meet at the center crease. So far, the design is identical to the Dart. The next step marks the end of their similarities.

   

• Fold the short way. Fold the point over at the base of the first two folds. The resulting triangle should have three sharp corners and should sit atop a solid rectangle. The center crease should line up exactly on top of itself. Hold the triangle down with one hand and crease. Note: this fold produces the distinctive blunted nose of the Glider.

Make the tricky body folds

 
• Now comes the tricky part: fold over one of the long-edged, folded corners. Its point should touch the center crease about one inch (2.5 cm) up from the point of the triangle. Look at the diagram for placement. Hold it down and crease. Fold down the other folded edge until its point just barely touches the other one. Crease this fold also. The point of the short way fold peeks through and is a short, squat kite shape. (It shouldn't look like a square on its side or a diamond.) Turn the kite shape over the trickily-folded corners and fold it down snugly. The kite shape should hold the corners in place.

   

• The center crease fold: Now pick up the airplane and fold it backwards along the center crease so that the folded kite shape faces out. Keep the folded corners tucked in the little pockets made by the kite shape.

Make the wing folds

The long, folded edges are the wing edges. Lay the airplane down again. Fold the wing edge downward and outward so that it meets the center crease exactly. Hold the wing edge on top of the center crease with one hand and crease. Turn the airplane over and do the same thing on the other side. Take care that the two wings are exactly equal. You're ready to fly.

Prepare for take off

If you've followed the steps above with care, you've greatly improved your chances for dramatic paper airplane flight. However, for optimal flight patterns and airtime, even the best-crafted airplane requires some pre-flight adjustment, and of course, correct flying techniques.

• Spread your wings.You need to unfold the wings slightly to get the best angle for flying. For both the Dart and the Glider open the wings out from the center crease. Hold the center crease, which is now the bottom of the airplane, and gently fold the two wings up. The best angle from wing to body is 60 degrees. This should make the airplane look even, like a three-pointed star when viewed from the ends. When you release the plane the center should open slightly, and the tops of the wings will actually float closer to parallel. You're ready to launch.

Fly and be free!

Most people fly paper airplanes indoors--that's where the paper is found, and it's a good, no-wind area. Hopefully you have the good sense not to throw your airplane--especially the Dart--at anyone's face or eyes.

If you take it outside, choose a day and a place with no wind or very light wind, unless you don't mind chasing down the airplane.

• The launch technique: Grasp the model almost half-way down from the front end between thumb and fingers of your throwing hand. Have you ever thrown darts at a dartboard? The launching motion is similar. Hold the airplane up high, about eye-level. Point it in the direction you want it to go. Bend your arm at the elbow and then extend your arm with a flick. Open your fingers and thumb to release the plane when it's pointing where you want it to go.

Variations on design: Some folks like to bend the back edges of the wings to be fancy. If you bend both trailing edges up slightly, the plane will arc upward when it flies. If you bend one wing-edge up and the other down, the plane will fly in a spiral. If you bend them too much the plane will stall in mid-flight--then probably come crashing straight down to the ground. For a futuristic look (with questionable functionality), take a pencil and roll up the outer edges of the wings. Release the roll-up and a spacey-looking curl will remain.

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