You need one uncut sheet of printer paper, short edge at the top. No scissors, tape or clips. Measurements are rounded to the nearest ⅛ inch, as in the app.
moves fold line where it lands Diagrams are drawn on Letter and zoom in after the fold in half; the bar in each corner is 1 inch. Tap a diagram to watch the fold.
Fold it step by step
- 01
Crease down the middle
Fold the sheet in half the long way. Press a sharp crease, then open it flat again.
Run your thumbnail along every crease. Sharp creases hold their shape.
- 02
Fold the top corners in
Bring the top-right corner down so the top edge lies right along the center crease.
Line the edge up first, then press the fold flat.
- 03
Now the left corner
Same thing on the left side. Now the top looks like a pointy roof.
Both sides should meet exactly on the crease.
- 04
Fold the edges in again
Fold the new slanted right edge in to the center crease. The nose gets sharper.
Keep the point crisp; a slightly rounded tip is fine.
- 05
Match it on the left
Fold the slanted left edge in to the center too.
Check the two sides are mirror images.
- 06
Fold the point back
Fold the sharp tip down 2 in (5.1 cm) so the nose is blunt.Fold the sharp tip down 5.1 cm (2 in) so the nose is blunt.
A snub nose is the Bulldog. Press it hard.
- 07
Fold it in half
Fold the plane in half along the center crease, with all the flaps on the inside.
Press from the nose toward the tail.
- 08
Fold down the first wing
Fold the top layer down along a line 1 in (2.7 cm) up from the center fold, parallel to it.Fold the top layer down along a line 2.7 cm (1 in) up from the center fold, parallel to it.
This leaves a small body underneath to hold on to.
- 09
Turn it over
Flip the plane over so the other side faces up.
Keep the nose pointing the same way.
- 10
Fold down the second wing
Fold this wing down to match the first one exactly.
Hold the two wings together to check they line up.
- 11
Open the wings
Lift both wings until they stick straight out, then tip them up a little into a shallow Y.
Check the shape
Check that the returned point sits flat and centered. A bulky flap sticking out of one side can spoil the symmetry of an otherwise familiar dart.
Before you open the wings, hold the plane closed against a window: both wing outlines should cover each other. Fix an unequal wing crease before reaching for trim.
First flights
Launch: Pinch it underneath and throw firmly and level.
- Folded-back point. The returned point adds layers at the front. Make sure it lies flat and centred; a flap sticking out on one side acts like a tiny rudder.
If it misbehaves
- Dives straight down
- Release level, then bend both back edges up a hair.
- Climbs, then drops
- Flatten those bends a little; throw nearer level.
- Always turns one way
- Compare the wings first. Then bend the edge on the inside of the turn down, or the outside edge up, very slightly.
The app can fly this plane in a simulator. Its distances and paths are simulation output; this page makes no claim about how far a hand-folded Bulldog will fly.
More folded-back points
The sharp tip is folded back on itself before the body closes. The result is a blunt, layered front made without cutting the point off.
Spotted a step that doesn't match your paper? Tell us and we'll check it against the app. How these guides are made.