How to Make A Far Flying Paper Airplane
By Mike Chahin
Build Time: 3-5 minutes
Below is some background information on the history and engineering behind paper airplanes.
The instructions that follow will outline how to make a paper airplane that will fly far. This
design can be used for competition or fun. Each step will consist of how to fold the paper
airplane. You can build the paper airplane anywhere you like, however the best place to throw
your airplane is outside or in a large open room or hallway. Upon completion, your paper
airplane should be able to successfully travel at least 30 feet.
Paper airplanes (originally called paper gliders) have generally been considered to originate from
Ancient China or Japan. With time, many other designers have improved and developed the
paper airplane, while using it as a fundamentally useful tool in aircraft design. The pioneers of
powered flight, like Leonardo Da Vinci and the Wright Brothers, have actually studied paper
airplanes in order to design larger machines. Today, paper airplanes are still being built by
professionals, kids, and everyone else in between for a variety of reasons. Increasing in
popularity are paper airplane competitions for kids. Participants compete to see who can throw
an airplane the farthest. The paper airplane design in this instruction set is perfect for those types
of competitions.
Paper airplanes are really gliders, meaning an aircraft without an engine. Four forces of flight
(thrust lift, weight, and drag) act on a glider during its flight. A glider must be launched from a
position higher than ground-level so that the altitude and gravity generate a velocity for forward
motion. A long flight will occur when these four forces are balanced. In general though, the
stronger the thrust, the faster the paper airplane will travel.
Materials
Required
8.5 x 11 inch paper (printer paper preferred)
Optional
Tape
Ruler
Pencil or pen
Warnings
Fly your paper airplanes in a larger area, away from foot and vehicle traffic
Never throw a paper airplane at a person
Steps to Create Your Paper Airplane
1. Fold the piece of paper in half
lengthwise, lining up the long edges
and unfold
You can smooth out the folds/creases
by using a ruler.
2. Fold the top two, outer corners in
towards the center to create triangles
that meet along the center crease
You can use the ruler and pencil to
mark the creases so that they are
easier to see.
3. Flip the entire paper over so that the
triangles you just folded are facing
down
4. Fold the triangle at the top down
over its bottom edge, so that the
triangle that was pointing up is now
pointing down
When folding the triangle down,
make sure the tip of the triangle and
the center crease line up. Your paper
should now be a square.
5. Fold the top two outer corners
inward to create triangles exactly
like in step 2
This step will create two thick
triangles that meet at the center
crease.
6. Fold two small triangles up from the
tips of the two triangles you created
in step 5
Make sure that the two triangles are
symmetrical across the center
crease.
7. Fold another small triangle up in
between the triangles you made in
step 6
This will help keep the wings of the
paper airplane in place when it is in
flight.
8. Fold the paper in half, along the
original center crease
Fold the paper airplane in half so
that the triangles you created in
steps 6 and 7 are facing out.
9. Fold one side of the paper airplane
down to make its wing
The diagonal part of the airplane
should be folded downward so that it
lines up with the horizontal bottom
edge.
10. Repeat step 9, except on the other
side of the paper airplane
11. Throw your completed paper
airplane
For the best flight, grip your paper
airplane where the small triangles
are located
Optional Step
12. Place tape over the small triangles on
the side and at the back of the
airplane
The tape will help hold the plane
together and make it fly farther.
Troubleshooting Tips
If your paper airplane fails to fly well or diverts from its path, try performing these tips:
Use the ruler to flatten out folds to make the paper airplane look nicer and fly farther
Use a different type of paper
Repeatedly throw the paper airplane to observe its flight pattern
Throw the paper airplane a little harder than normal
o There is an optimal thrust you must put on the paper airplane
Fold the tip in or add weight (via a paper clip or staple) to the nose of the plane to provide
more lift and protect the plane from crashes
Bend the left side of the tail up and the right side down if the airplane flies right when
thrown
Bend the right side of the tail up and the left side down if the airplane flies left when
thrown
Bend both sides of the tail up if the airplane flies down when thrown
Bend both sides of the airplane down if the airplane stalls in flight
Glossary
Drag- resistance an object experiences when it is traveling through the air
Lift- when the air below the airplane wings is pushing up harder than the air above the
wings are pushing down
Stall- whenever an aircraft of any kind travels up too steeply, stops midflight, and crashes
to the ground
Thrust- the forward movement of the plane, initialized from your muscles launching the
plane (i.e. your hand and arm)
