How to Make a Paper Airplane
Fold the classic dart paper airplane from one sheet of printer paper, keep every fold symmetrical, and trim the wings so it flies straight and level instead of diving.
You will end up with a classic dart that glides across a room in a straight, level line, and you will know how to trim it when it dives, climbs, or turns.
The classic dart is the design worth learning first. It is simple, fast to fold, and it flies well. Asymmetrical wings send it into a turn, loose creases keep it from holding its trim, and both are easy to miss while you fold.
You need one sheet of regular paper. The steps flag the folds where precision decides whether the plane flies or crashes, and FAQ 4 covers how a wider glider trades distance for hang time.
One sheet of standard 8.5 by 11 inch paper (letter size). Printer paper, notebook paper, or copy paper all work. Heavier paper like cardstock is too stiff and will not fly well. Avoid lined paper with three-hole punches since the holes weaken the structure. A flat, hard surface to fold on gives you the crispest creases.
Start with a center fold
Place your paper on a flat surface in portrait orientation (tall, not wide). Fold the paper in half lengthwise, bringing the left edge to meet the right edge exactly. Crease the fold firmly by running your finger or a pen along it. Then unfold it. You should have a sharp center line running down the middle of the paper. This center line is your reference for every fold that follows. If this fold is off-center, everything else will be asymmetrical and the plane will not fly straight.
Fold the top corners to the center
Take the top left corner and fold it down to meet the center crease. The top edge of the paper should align perfectly with the center line. Press the fold flat. Repeat with the top right corner. You should now have a pointed triangle at the top of the page, like the roof of a house, with the point sitting exactly on the center line. If one side is wider than the other, unfold and redo it. Symmetry here is critical for a straight flight path.
Fold the angled edges to the center again
Take the left angled edge (the one you just created) and fold it inward so it lines up with the center crease. The fold runs from the top point almost to the bottom of the page. Repeat on the right side. The nose of the plane is now a long, narrow point. Both sides should be mirror images of each other. Press all creases firmly. The tighter and cleaner your creases, the more rigid the plane and the better it flies.
Good to know: If the nose feels too heavy after these folds, fold the very tip of the point backward about half an inch. That moves a little weight back from the tip, which reduces the dive on launch.
Fold the plane in half
Fold the entire plane in half along the original center crease, bringing the left side over to meet the right side. The folded edges are on the inside. The nose point should be sharp and aligned. You are now holding what looks like a long, thin triangle with all the folds hidden inside.
Create the wings
With the folded edge (the spine of the plane) facing down, fold the top layer down so the top edge meets the bottom edge (the spine). This creates the first wing. Flip the plane over and fold the other side to match. Both wings should be the same size and angle. The wings should extend straight out from the body when you hold the plane at the spine. If one wing droops more than the other, the plane will turn in that direction. Adjust until both sides match.
Test and adjust
Before you throw, check that nobody is in the flight path, because the sharp nose can hurt an eye. Hold the plane by the body between your thumb and index finger, about one-third of the way back from the nose. Throw it with a smooth, level motion at about three-quarters strength. Gentle, straight throws work better than powerful launches. If the plane nosedives, bend the back edge of the wings up slightly (called elevator trim). If it climbs and stalls, bend them down slightly. If it turns left or right, check your wing symmetry. Small adjustments make a big difference.
If the plane keeps turning to one side, hold it at eye level from behind and check that both wings sit at exactly the same angle, then even them out. If it still dives after you bend the trailing edges up, fold the nose tip back as the tip in step 3 describes. If the creases have gone soft from repeated crashes, fold a fresh sheet, because a limp plane will not hold its trim. Once the dart flies straight, fold the wingtips up slightly for stability, or read FAQ 4 below before you fold a wider glider for longer hang time. For another project from the same series, our guide on how to draw a dog needs only a pencil, an eraser, and a sheet of paper.
Questions we get asked about this
Answers from experience, not a textbook.
The nose is too heavy for the wings, the trailing edges are bent down, or the throw is too hard. Fold the tip of the nose backward about half an inch to move the center of gravity back. You can also bend the trailing edge of the wings up slightly. That reduces the lift at the back of the wing and pushes the tail down, which is what lifts the nose and counteracts the nose-heavy tendency. Then throw with less force, as step 6 describes.
Use standard 20-pound printer or copy paper (8.5 by 11 inches). It is stiff enough to hold its shape but light enough to glide. Heavier paper like cardstock is too rigid and does not fly well. Thin paper like newspaper tears and does not hold creases. If you want to experiment, 24-pound paper gives a slightly stiffer plane.
A well-folded dart crosses an ordinary room on a smooth throw. The record is a different sport entirely. Guinness World Records lists the farthest flight by a paper aircraft as 98.43 m (322 ft 11 in), set by Liu Liwen in Shanghai on December 28, 2025. Guinness says the team behind the current mark spent extensive time studying engineering and aerodynamics and trained systematically for the throw. For your own dart, focus on smooth, level throws rather than raw power.
Darts have narrow, pointed noses and small wings. They fly fast and far in a straight line. Gliders have blunt or folded noses and wider wings. They sacrifice distance for hang time, floating slowly through the air rather than slicing through it. Darts are better for distance competitions. Gliders are better for trick throws and seeing how long you can keep a plane in the air.
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How to Make a Paper Airplane
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