Paper Planes

It's fun to make paper airplanes! Here's a breakdown of how to make a classic, simple paper airplane, along with some tips:

Basic Paper Airplane Instructions:

    Materials:
        A standard piece of 8.5 x 11-inch paper (printer paper works great)

   Steps:

• Fold in Half:
              Lay the paper on a flat surface.
              Fold the paper in half lengthwise, bringing the two short edges together.
              Crease the fold sharply, then unfold the paper.
• Fold the Corners:
              Take the top right corner and fold it down to the center crease.
              Repeat with the top left corner, so both corners meet in the middle, forming a point.
              Crease these folds sharply.
• Fold Again:
              Fold the new top edges (the angled edges you just created) toward the center crease again.
              Crease sharply.
• Fold in Half (Again):
              Fold the entire plane in half along the original center crease, bringing the folded edges together.
• Form the Wings:
              Fold one of the outer edges down to create a wing.
              The edge should align with the bottom edge of the plane.
              Crease sharply.
              Flip the plane over and repeat on the other side.
• Optional Wing Adjustments:
              To help with lift, you can slightly bend the trailing edges of the wings upward.

Tips for Better Flight:

    Sharp Creases: Sharp, clean folds are essential for a good paper airplane.
    Symmetry: Ensure your folds are symmetrical on both sides for balanced flight.
    Paper Type: Thinner paper generally flies better than thick paper.
    Testing and Adjusting: Experiment with slight adjustments to the wings to see how it affects the plane's flight.

There are many variations of paper airplanes, so once you master the basic one, you can try more complex designs.