Paper airplanes have been great fun for generations. But did you know that there are loads more different types of paper airplanes you can make? More than just that simply one you’ve known about for years. Or maybe you haven’t known about it for years and have never made a paper airplane. If that’s the case, then you’re in the right place. In this article, we’re going to look at how to make a paper airplane, so you know all the information you need.
We’re actually going to look at a few different types of paper airplanes so that you can get creative and start making some different aircraft. While technology has moved a long way and continues at a rapid pace, there’s nothing wrong with going back to basics and keeping things simple. Paper airplanes might not be the same as an iPad, but they’re a creative way to get making things and start having fun. Not only that, they’re cheap as well. They only cost as much as a piece of paper, which is next to nothing.
While you might start making a few of these planes just for fun—you might start getting competitive. There are actual paper airplane competitions where competitors compete against eachother to see how far their creations can go. How far can your paper airplane go?
Learning to make simple paper airplanes is easy, but some are harder than others. Even though you might be able to get the basics down quite quickly, consistency is key. Have you ever made one of those planes and then found the next one simply doesn’t fly as well? It’s a common problem. That’s why practice makes perfect. But first, you probably want to start with the basics of how to make paper airplanes. Let’s have a look…
How to make a paper airplane
To start with, you’re going to need some paper. You can’t make a paper airplane without paper, right? Most of these planes are made from standard A4 paper. You might find a slightly thicker, higher-quality type of paper does a better job, but you can start with simple thin sheets if you want.
Make sure you’ve got a flat space and a nice area where you can fold. Make sure you’ve got some space to throw your plane as well. You might want to have a few paper clips to make adjustments or re-weight certain areas, but this is for higher-end paper airplane making. First, we’ll start with the most basic plane.
How to make a basic paper airplane
Get your A4 sheet and lay it flat on a surface. Then fold it in half lengthways, so that you have two long rectangles either side of the fold. Unfold the paper again. Then you want to fold the top two corners into the center line so that they meet in the middle, down the fold.
After this, fold the paper in half over on itself so that the two folds meet. It should stay symmetrical at all times. If you look at the plane from the side, it should be a long almost-rectangle with a pitched edge at the top, mirrored on the other side the same way. You can then fold down the edges to meet the bottom of the body, in line with the middle. This is how you make your first basic paper airplane.
Have a go and see how it flies. You might find that it doesn’t actually fly that well, but that’s ok. It’s only your first paper airplane. The next few will fly better.
How to make a basic dart paper airplane
The next paper airplane you’re going to learn how to make is perhaps one of the most common. It’s a little bit more well-known than the basic plane, and flies better. But it’s actually not much harder to make.
You start the same way as with the basic plane. Fold the A4 page lengthways then fold in the corners. At this point, it changes slightly. Fold the corners in again so that the edge that was diagonal meets in the middle again down the centerfold. In order words, you want to fold it in twice on each side. When you’ve done this, you can fold the sides down the length of the plane in the same way you did with the basic plane.
This makes a basic dart plane which is slightly better at flying, and not much harder to make. How far can yours fly? It might be better to try indoors rather than where it’s windy, although that could make your plane fly further. Actually, the first plane is really for staying in the air for longer periods of time, but not for going big distances. The basic dart plane is better if you want to go a long way.
How to make a stable paper airplane
If you don’t want to aim for distance, but would rather keep your plane airborne for a longer period, you might want to try making a stable plane. These aren’t much harder to make, although are slightly different in shape and form.
Start with another sheet of A4 paper. Fold the two corners in as you did on the other planes. Then unfold the paper again down the middle but leave the corners folded into the middle. Here’s where things get a bit different. FOld The top half of the page down so the point at the top of the page comes down and inwards. Fold it as far down enough so that the outer shape is a square. Then fold the top two corners in so that two points meet in the middle just above the original downward point. Are you still following? THis should create a triangle on top and a diamond shape on the bottom.
Then you fold the overhanging original point back over the side flaps to secure them in place. At this point you can fold down the sides similarly to how you did with the original planes, to make the wings. Now you’ve got an even more stable paper plane.
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