How to make a paper airplane
Ten 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. Full guide: how to make the classic dart →
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.
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All 10 paper airplane designs
Each design has its own step-by-step guide with written instructions, throwing tips, troubleshooting and a printable template.
Classic Dart
The sharp-nosed plane most people learn first. Fast, straight and happiest with a hard throw.
Easy Kids Plane
Only four folds and broad wings, so it forgives crooked folds and gentle throws. A good first plane for young children.
Classic Glider
A blunt, folded-back nose and wide wings. It flies slowly and floats a long way from a gentle throw.
Nakamura Lock
A traditional design whose small folded tip locks the nose flaps in place. Heavy, sturdy nose and a steady, long glide.
Bulldog Dart
A dart with its point folded back into a blunt nose. It flies as straight as a dart but survives crashes much better.
Arrow with Fins
A slim dart with upturned wing tips. The fins act like the feathers of an arrow and keep it flying straight.
Loop Stunt Plane
A square-nosed plane with broad wings and strongly bent-up elevators. Throw it hard upward and it loops.
Hammer Glider
Short and wide, with a thick folded band across the nose like a hammer head. Slow, stable glides and upturned tips.
Needle Dart
A dart narrowed three times into a slim, needle-pointed body with small wings. The fastest plane here; it needs a hard throw.
Long-Distance Dart
A dart that starts with a folded band across the top, giving it a heavy nose. It holds its speed and glides further than the plain dart.
Choosing a paper airplane: distance or hang time?
Every paper airplane is a trade-off between speed and floating. Planes with narrow wings and a long, pointed nose have little wing area for their weight, so they need speed to stay up: throw them hard and they fly fast and far. The classic dart, the long-distance dart, the bulldog dart, the arrow with fins and the very fast needle dart are built this way, and they are the ones to fold for distance and speed.
Planes with wide wings and a blunt, heavy nose have plenty of lift at low speed, so they fly slowly and stay in the air longer. Launch them gently and they glide rather than dart. For time aloft, try the classic glider, the hammer glider or the Nakamura lock, which is a good all-rounder for both distance and long glides.
If you want tricks, the loop stunt plane uses strongly bent-up elevators to fly loops, and for young children the easy kids plane has only four folds and forgives crooked creases.
Which paper to use
Ordinary printer or copy paper, A4 or US Letter at around 80 g/m² (20 lb), is the best all-round choice. It holds a sharp crease and is light enough to glide. Every design on this site works on both sizes: use the A4 / US Letter switch in the tool to get the right measurements and template. Avoid very thin paper, which goes limp, and card, which is too heavy for most designs. Whatever you use, a fresh, flat, uncreased sheet flies better than a crumpled one.
Throwing basics
Hold the plane under the body, a little in front of the middle, between your thumb and first finger. Match the throw to the design: darts want a firm, straight-armed throw, level or slightly nose-up; gliders want a gentle push at walking pace; stunt planes want a hard, steep throw. Most “bad” planes are good planes thrown the wrong way.
Before blaming the throw, look at the plane from behind. Both wings should be the same shape and sit in a shallow upward V. If it dives, bend the back edges of both wings up by a millimetre or two; if it climbs and stalls, flatten them; if it turns, a small up-bend on one wing turns it toward that side. Change one thing at a time, then throw again. The flight preview in the tool lets you try the same adjustments on screen first.
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 long-distance dart, 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.
What is the easiest paper airplane to make?+
The easy kids plane needs only four folds, all lined up with an edge or the centre crease. The classic dart is almost as simple and flies faster.