How to Make an F-15 Paper Airplane

Paper airplanes are fun. Challenging gravity by folding a piece of paper can give anyone a feeling satisfaction--nearly as much as the Wright Brothers when they flew the first powered flight in 1903. One of the most effective modern planes is the F-15 Eagle, a U.S. military fighter jet that the Federation of American Scientists describes as being an "all-weather, extremely maneuverable, tactical fighter designed to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat." The design of the F-15 translates well into a paper airplane that will, according to Kyong H. Lee, fly straight and true.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 8 1/2 by 11 paper
• Ruler

1. Fold an 8 1/2 by 11 sheet of paper in half lengthwise to establish a center line. Unfold it so the crease in the center is visible.

2. Fold the top corners over to meet the center line. Make sure that the folds are even and that the edges do not overlap the center.

3. Fold the point of the top down until it is even with the bottom of the paper. Make sure that the point does not extend beyond the bottom of the paper. The paper should now be folded evenly in half width-wise.

4. Measure down 1 inch below the center, width-wise fold and make a mark across the paper at this point. Press the paper upward at this mark so that the point you created in Step 2 is facing upward again.

5. Mark a point that is almost an inch from the bottom left side of the paper. Do the same on the other side. Fold the paper over diagonally to the mark at the bottom. If you fold the paper correctly, you'll see that you are effectively folding the top left hand section in half. Do the same with the right side of the paper.

6. Hold the top left edge near the center line with one finger as you put the other finger near the bottom of the fold. Fold a portion of the back fold back open so that you have a wing that is an 1 inch from the bottom and angles back toward the center of the paper. It should look like one tight point that angles into a more oblique angle near the bottom of the paper. Do the same for the other side of the paper. Try to match the angles with the left side so you have two even wings.

7. Fold the F-15 in half and make a mark that is 3/4 inch from the fold and another that is 3/4 inch from the tips of the wings. Fold the left wing down at the 3/4 inch mark from the fold. Do the same with the other wing. Fold the tip of both wings up at the 3/4 mark. Fly your plane.

References

• The Wright Brothers - First Flight, 1903
• F-15 Eagle
• F-15 Eagle Paper Airplane (Type A)