Paper airplanes have been known for as long as or maybe longer than actual airplanes. In 1908-1909, Aero magazine used paper airplanes to explain the principles of aerodynamics. In 2012, a paper airplane, estimated to be over 100 years old, was found on the roof of a chapel in England. This timeless hobby is simple and easy for beginners or experts.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Making a Simple Arrow Shaped Plane
Step 1. Use plain A4/letter size paper
This is standard paper for printers, and measures 22 x 28 cm. The paper should be rectangular, not square or pre-cut.
Step 2. Fold the paper in half
When folding, the direction of the paper should be vertical, and the fold should be in the center of the paper, along the longer side. Make sure the ends of the paper meet and fit.
- Use your thumb or a flat-tipped tool, such as a butter knife or wooden tongue holder, to make creases in the paper. When making any type of paper airplane, make sure your folds are sharp.
- Unfold the paper. Don't turn the paper over.
Step 3. Fold both ends at the top towards the crease in the middle
The edges of the paper should be straight up to the crease in the middle. The two outer edges of the paper should touch each other at the crease line.
- This fold will form a triangular wing on each side of the paper. The top should be pointed.
- The bottom edge of the wing should form a straight line.
Step 4. Fold the wings again towards the center of the paper
Take the top corner from the outside and fold it towards the center. Just like in step 3, the ends should meet along the vertical crease in the middle.
The paper should look like an arrow, with triangular wings that are much narrower on either side. Most of the paper will now be triangular, with a sharp corner on top
Step 5. Fold the paper in half
When folding the paper in half, fold it along the vertical crease. You are folding one side of the paper over the other, so the two sides must meet exactly. Press along the crease with your finger or a blunt-edged tool to make it sharp.
Step 6. Fold the wings down
Lay the paper so that the even fold is facing down. Fold the paper down from the top to make the wings, leaving a few inches at the bottom. Do the same for the other side, making sure to fold the second wing in exactly the same place as the first. When you're done, the paper should look like an arrow-shaped plane.
To make a slightly more complicated version of this simple paper airplane, simply add wingtips. On the back side of one wing, make a small crease. The fold will be in the shape of a small triangle. Bend the small triangle upwards so that you have the tip of the wing pointing toward the sky. Repeat for the other wing, making sure the creases from the wing tips match
Method 2 of 3: Making a Plane With a Simple Bulldog-Like Tip
Step 1. Fold the ''letter'' size paper in half
Using A4 size paper, 21 x 30 cm, make folds along the vertical lines of the paper. Make sure the two ends of the paper are aligned properly. Unfold the paper.
When making folds, make sure the folds are sharp and firm. Use your thumb or a straight-pointed tool, such as a wooden holder or a butter knife
Step 2. Fold the top corner down so the top two meet at the center crease
The sides should meet exactly at the center crease. The underside of the wing should form a straight line.
The wings should form two triangles, and the ends of the paper should be pointed
Step 3. Turn the paper over
Take the outer point and fold the end into the crease in the middle. Repeat for both sides.
At this point, you will have three layers of triangular folds. The bottom corners of the top triangular fold should meet at the center crease. The sides of the paper should mostly be triangular, with the bottom side still flat
Step 4. Fold the edge of the paper down
The pointed end should be folded to where the bottom corners of the top triangular fold meet at the center crease. The paper should have a flat, cut edge where the pointy edge was before.
Step 5. Fold the paper in half
Match the sides of the paper exactly, creating a symmetrical crease along the crease in the center. The folds made in steps 3 and 4 should be on the inside of the paper.
Step 6. Fold the wings down
The crease made should be along the top starting from the flat nose of the plane. The two folds must be exactly the same on both sides of the plane.
This plane flies better at low speeds. The nose of the plane will cause the plane to crash if you throw it too fast
Method 3 of 3: Making a Simple Kite
Step 1. Make a crease of 2.5 cm
Using A4/letter size paper, 21 x 30 cm, rotate the paper vertically. Make a 2.5 cm horizontal fold along the top of the paper. Repeat this fold 8 times, folding each one over the previous fold, eight folds. The paper size will now be about half of its previous size.
- Make sure the folds line up directly above one another and fold tightly.
- The folds must be sharp and firm. To achieve sharp creases, use your thumb or a blunt-tipped tool, such as a wooden press or a butter knife.
Step 2. Fold the paper in half
Before you fold, turn the paper over. The creases should not be visible after you turn the paper over. Now, fold the paper in half vertically, matching the edges of the paper properly. The creases will now be visible.
Step 3. Fold the wings
Leaving about 1/2 inch to an inch at the bottom, fold the top of the paper outward. Repeat this for the other side, making sure the folds are aligned along the top of the plane.
- The folds should be at the bottom of the plane.
- The kite is capable of flying over long distances and with good accuracy.
Tips
- Throw the plane gently.
- Do not manipulate or alter the aircraft in any way or the aircraft will not fly properly.
- Don't throw the plane upside down.
- Use a new, dry sheet of paper.
- Point 2 degrees up when throwing.
- If the plane dives, bend the tip of the rear wing up slightly. If the plane is flying upwards and then crashes, bend the tip of the rear wing down slightly.
