Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Simple Design
Fold a sheet of paper in half lengthwise.
Open the paper and fold the top two corners inward toward the center line creating a triangular shape at the top of the paper. Maintaining the triangular fold, fold the paper in half lengthwise along the crease you made in Step 1.
Fold one flap down so that the edge of the paper is even with the lengthwise crease, creating a wing. Repeat with the other flap. Straighten the wings so they are perpendicular to the body of the airplane and let it soar.
Sleek Design
Fold a piece of paper in half lengthwise. Open the paper and fold the top two corners inward toward the center crease creating a triangular shape.
Fold the triangular shape over in line with the bottom flaps of the corner pieces so that the triangle is pointing downward (see Reference 3).
Fold the pointed tip of the triangle upward about 1 inch from the point, then unfold it.
Fold the new top corners of the plane toward the center crease so that the bottom edges align with the crease you made in the tip of the plane (see Reference 3).
Fold the tip up over the corner flaps creating the Namakura Lock, according to Paul Doherty of Exploratorium Magazine (see Reference 3).
Fold the plane along the original center crease keeping the tip of the plan on the outside of the fold. Fold down the flaps to create wings and bend them so they are perpendicular to the body of the plane. Trim any excess and let it fly (see Reference 3).
Jet Design
Fold a sheet of paper in half lengthwise and unfold. Fold the top two corners inward toward the center crease so the points meet in the center (see references 4).
Fold the new top corners toward the center crease.
Fold the plane along the original lengthwise crease and fold down the flaps on either side so the edges align with the bottom of the plane (or the original lengthwise crease). Bend the flaps so they are perpendicular to the body of the plane (see references 4).
Tumbler Design
Cut a sheet of paper so it measures 2 1/2 by 9 1/2 inches. Fold the paper in half along the shorter side to create two long flaps (see Reference 5).
Fold and unfold the creased right corner of the paper into a right triangle so that the base of the triangle along the original crease is about 1 3/8 inches wide (see Reference 5).
Pucker the paper along the triangle and press it inward to reverse fold. It should resemble a rhombus at this corner (see Reference 5).
Fold down the flaps so the edges align with the bottom original crease to create wings.
Unfold the paper along the original crease while maintaining the puckered, inverted triangle so that the paper lies mostly flat (see Reference 5). Looking at the inverted triangle, reverse fold again so that about 3/5 of the inverted triangle now resembles a diamond shape as diagrammed at The Massachusetts Institute of Technology's instructions on paper airplanes (see Reference 5).
Pucker the center of the diamond so that it folds slightly inward and point upward from the base of the plane. Adjust the wings so they are mostly a straight line excepting the center diamond. Hold the plane in the center opposite the diamond point between index finger and thumb and flick to watch it tumble through the air (see Reference 5).