Paper airplanes have existed for as long as (if not longer than) real airplanes. In 1908 or 1909, Aeromagazine used paper airplanes to explain the principles of aerodynamics.
In 2012, paper airplanes believed to be over 100 years old were found in the eaves of a chapel in England.
This timeless pastime is simple and easy for both beginners and experienced flyers.
Make a simple arrow-shaped airplane
1: Use a regular sheet of A4 or letter-size paper.
This is standard printing paper and measures 21.5 x 28 cm (8.5 x 11 inches). The paper should be rectangular, not square or cut out.
2: Fold the paper in half.
When folding, the paper should be vertical, and the crease should be along this longer, middle side. Make sure the corners line up.
Use your thumb or a flat-edged tool, such as a kitchen knife or wooden tongue depressor, to fold the paper. When making any type of paper airplane, make sure the folds are crisp and defined.
Unfold the paper. Don’t turn it over.
3: Fold the two top corners toward the center crease.
The edges of the paper should be aligned as precisely as possible with the center crease. The two outer edges of the paper should touch each other along the fold line.
This should form triangular flaps on each side of the paper. The top should be shaped like a point.
The bottom of the flap should be a straight line.
4: Fold the flap back to the middle of the paper.
Take the top corner of the outer edge and fold it to the center. As in step 3, the edges should meet along the vertical crease in the middle.
The paper should resemble a dart, with a much narrower triangular flap on each side. Now most of the paper will be shaped like a triangle, with a point at the top.
5: Fold the paper in half.
When folding the paper in half, make the fold along the vertical crease. Fold one side of the paper over the other so they fit together precisely.
Run your finger or a blunt-edged tool along the crease to make it sharper.
6: Fold the wings down.
Position the paper so the flat crease is facing down. Fold the paper down from the top to create a wing, leaving a few centimeters at the bottom. Do the same on the other side, making sure to fold the second wing in exactly the same place as the first. When finished, the plane should resemble a dart.
To make a slightly more advanced version of this basic paper airplane, simply add wingtips. On the trailing edge of one of the wings, make a small fold. This fold will be shaped like a small triangle. Fold it upwards so that you have a wingtip pointing towards the sky. Repeat the same procedure on the other wing, making sure the wingtip folds line up.