How to Make a Nakamura Lock Paper Airplane
The Nakamura lock is a traditional paper airplane with a small folded tip that locks the nose flaps in place, so it stays closed without tape. Its heavy, compact nose gives it a steady, long glide and it holds its speed well, making it good for both distance and time aloft. It is a medium-difficulty fold that takes about five minutes with one sheet of printer paper.
At a glance
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Time
- About 5 min
- Steps
- 8 (7 folds)
- Paper
- A4 or US Letter
- Best for
- Long, steady glides (distance and time aloft)
How to fold the Nakamura lock
A traditional design whose small folded tip locks the nose flaps in place. Heavy, sturdy nose and a steady, long glide.
Difficulty: Medium · Best for: Distance, Time aloft · 8 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.
Test flight: Nakamura lock
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:
- 154 cm²
- Wingspan:
- 16.0 cm
- Balance point:
- 81 mm behind the nose
- Balance on the wing:
- 21% of average chord
- Steady glide:
- 4.8 m/s, 3.4 : 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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Step-by-step instructions
The same 8 steps as the animation above, written out so you can fold away from the screen. Measurements are for an A4 sheet; switch the tool above to US Letter for Letter-size measurements and template.
Step 1
Lay the sheet portrait, printed side up. Fold it in half lengthwise, crease firmly and unfold again. The centre crease is your guide for every fold that follows.
Step 2
Fold both top corners in to the centre crease.
Step 3
Fold the top point down so its tip lands on the centre crease about 2.5 cm (1 in) above the bottom edge.
Step 4
Fold the two new top corners in so they meet on the centre crease. The small tip of the folded-down point should still show below them.
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Step 5
Fold that small tip up over the two corners. This is the lock: it holds the flaps together.
Step 6
Turn the plane over and fold it in half along the centre crease, so the folded flaps end up on the outside. Turn it so the nose points left.
Step 7
Fold the top wing down along a line parallel to the bottom edge, about 2.5 cm (1 in) above it. Turn over and fold the other wing to match.
Step 8
Open the wings until they are level with a slight upward V. The lock keeps the nose closed without tape.
How to throw the Nakamura lock
- Throw with medium force, level or a little nose-up. It keeps its speed well because of the heavy nose.
- Outdoors, throw into a light breeze rather than with it.
The Nakamura lock sits between a dart and a glider, so it likes a medium throw: firm enough to get it moving, level or slightly nose-up, but not a full-power fling. Indoors, a smooth throw at shoulder height gives a long, flat glide across the room.
Trimming and troubleshooting
Trimming means small bends to the back edges of the wings (the elevators) and the wing angle. Change one thing at a time and test-throw after each change.
- Add a small upward bend at the back of both wings if it dives; this design usually needs only a millimetre or two.
- A slightly bigger bend on one wing makes it turn toward that side, which is handy for circling flights in a hall.
- The lock keeps popping open
- Crease the small locking tip firmly, and make sure it folds up over both corner flaps rather than tucking under one of them.
- It noses down quickly
- Add a very small upward bend at the back of both wings; this design usually needs only a millimetre or two.
- It wobbles or rolls
- Give the wings a slight upward V when you open them and check that both wing folds are the same width.
About the Nakamura lock
The Nakamura lock is one of the best-known traditional paper airplane designs, and it is usually credited to the Japanese paper folder Eiji Nakamura, which is where its name comes from. It appears in many paper airplane books and is a favourite with teachers because it flies well straight off the fold.
What makes it special is the lock itself. After the top point is folded down and the corners are folded in over it, a small tip of the point still shows below them. Folding that tip back up traps the corner flaps, so the nose becomes a solid, layered block that holds its shape through many flights. That compact, heavy nose also puts the balance point in a good spot for gliding.
Because it is sturdy and reliable, the Nakamura lock is a good design for classroom challenges and for testing ideas: try different elevator bends in the flight preview above and compare how far and how long it flies.
Nakamura Lock paper airplane: questions
Why is it called the Nakamura lock?+
It is named after the Japanese paper folder Eiji Nakamura, to whom the design is usually credited, and after the small locking fold that holds the nose flaps closed.
Is the Nakamura lock good for distance?+
Yes. It holds its speed well thanks to its heavy nose and glides a long way, so it is a strong all-rounder for both distance and time in the air.
Does the Nakamura lock need tape?+
No. The locking fold keeps the nose flaps together, which is the whole point of the design.
Is the Nakamura lock hard to fold?+
It is a medium fold. The only tricky step is placing the point so a small tip shows below the corner flaps; the animation and measurements above make it easy to get right.
How do I make a Nakamura lock plane turn in circles?+
Bend the back edge of one wing up a little more than the other. It will turn toward the side with the bigger up-bend.
Fold another paper airplane
Classic Glider
A blunt, folded-back nose and wide wings. It flies slowly and floats a long way from a gentle throw.
Classic Dart
The sharp-nosed plane most people learn first. Fast, straight and happiest with a hard throw.
Hammer Glider
Short and wide, with a thick folded band across the nose like a hammer head. Slow, stable glides and upturned tips.