How to Design a Complex Paper Airplane

Making a complex paper airplane can be as easy as altering a simple airplane design.

Paper airplanes don't have to be simple gliders. They can be complex in design, and able to fly comparatively long distances. Using creativity along with some trial and error, you can create your own complex paper airplane designs.

Instructions

1. Build a simple paper airplane by taking a sheet of paper, folding it in half the long way and opening it up again. Fold in the corners on one of the short sides to the middle crease you created to make a triangle shape on one end. Fold the paper in half along the center crease again. Fold one of the sides in half, and then fold it in half again to make a wing. Fold down the second flap in the same manner to make the second wing, and you're done.

2. Making a more complex paper airplane design can be as simple as folding up the tips on each wing of the paper airplane you created to make flaps. This helps steady the plane as it glides through the air.

3. Add more complexity to the original airplane design by opening the sheet back up to the point where you have the triangular shape at one end. Then fold the tip of the triangle into the airplane to blunt the face of the plane. While having a sharp point helps with aerodynamics, having a blunt end adds a little weight to the paper plane, allowing it to catch the wind better.

4. Make your own alterations to the airplane, or start with a new sheet of paper and built a new paper airplane. Try flying the plane after each modification to see if its performance improves. If the performance gets worse, undo the change and try something else.

Tips & Warnings

• A paper airplane's performance is determined by how long the plane stays in the air, and how far it can glide.

References

• Paper Airplanes HQ: Paper Airplane Designs
• Paper Airplanes: Easy To Make Paper Airplanes
• Teach Kids How: Teach Your Child to Make Paper Airplanes