How to make a paper airplane
Eight tried-and-tested designs, from a two-minute dart to a locking glider. Pick one, watch each fold animate, preview the flight, then print the steps.
Choose a design
How to fold the Classic dart
The sharp-nosed plane most people learn first. Fast, straight and happiest with a hard throw.
Difficulty: Easy · Best for: Distance, First flights · 6 steps
Printable fold-line template
Page 1 is the A4 sheet with every fold line printed in place and numbered; page 2 has the steps. Print at 100% (Actual size) on ordinary 80 g/m² (20 lb) copy paper.
Throwing tips
- Hold the body just behind the balance point, between thumb and first finger.
- Throw firmly and straight ahead, level or a few degrees nose-up. Darts need speed to fly; a soft throw makes them dive.
Trimming (elevator bends)
- If it dives straight into the floor, bend the back edges of both wings up a little (1–2 mm of upward bend over the last centimetre).
- If it climbs, slows and drops (stalls), flatten that bend again.
- If it turns, check that both wings are the same shape and level; a small up-bend on one side makes it turn toward that side.
Test flight: Classic dart
Toy model — not a predictionA simplified 2D flight model driven by the folded shape: its wing area, weight and balance point. Drag from the hand in the direction of the throw — a longer drag throws harder — or use the sliders.
Drag on the picture or press Throw.
- Weight:
- 5.0 g
- Wing area:
- 182 cm²
- Wingspan:
- 10.8 cm
- Balance point:
- 161 mm behind the nose
- Balance on the wing:
- 33% of average chord
- Steady glide:
- 3.2 m/s, 2.5 : 1
Weight assumes 80 g/m² paper. The model treats the plane as one flat, rigid wing: lift and drag of a thin plate, a centre of pressure that moves back as the nose rises, and bent-up elevators that add a nose-up moment. Real flights also depend on crease quality, wing symmetry, twist and air currents.
Paper airplane questions
Which paper airplane flies the farthest?+
Narrow, heavy-nosed darts travel farthest when thrown hard, while wide gliders stay up longest when launched gently. For distance, try the classic dart or the bulldog dart and throw level; for time aloft, fold the Nakamura lock or the hammer glider.
What paper is best for paper airplanes?+
Plain printer paper (US Letter or A4, around 80 gsm) is ideal: stiff enough to hold sharp creases, light enough to glide. Very thin paper crumples in flight and card is too heavy for most designs.
Why does my paper airplane nose-dive or stall?+
A nose-dive usually means the wings are bent down or the nose is too heavy — bend the back edges of the wings up slightly. A stall (climbing, then dropping) means the opposite: flatten the back edges or add a fold to the nose.
How do I make a paper airplane turn?+
Bend the back edge of one wing up a little: the plane turns toward the side with the raised edge. Small adjustments make a big difference, so change one thing at a time.