How to fold a classic paper airplane

A classic dart is a useful first plane because its folds are easy to compare from left to right. Its narrow wings and pointed nose also make mistakes visible: a crooked center crease becomes a crooked body, and unequal wing folds usually show up in the flight.

Use one uncut sheet of Letter or A4 printer paper. Put it on a flat table with a short edge at the top. You do not need scissors, glue, or a paper clip. The instructions below match the Dart in our interactive folding catalog; the animation is helpful if you cannot tell which layer should move.

Fold the plane in ten steps

1. Make a center crease. Fold the sheet in half lengthwise, bringing the two long edges together. Align the corners before pressing the crease. Open the sheet again. This line is your reference for the next four folds.
2. Bring the top-right corner to the center. Fold so the top edge on that side lies along the center crease. Press from the point outward rather than dragging the corner after you have started creasing.
3. Match the top-left corner. The top of the sheet should now look like a roof. The two folded edges should meet without overlapping. If the point leans to one side, correct it now.
4. Fold the right slanted edge in again. Bring the new diagonal edge to the center crease. This makes a longer, narrower point. Hold the nose in place while you flatten the thicker layers.
5. Match the second edge. Repeat on the left. Check the outside outline, not just the tips: both sides should be mirror images.
6. Close the body. Fold the sheet along the original center crease, keeping the folded flaps inside. Press along the body from nose to tail.
7. Fold the first wing down. With the body lying on its side, make a wing crease parallel to the bottom center fold, about 1.05 inches (2.7 cm) above it. Fold only the upper layer. That strip becomes the body you hold.
8. Turn the plane over. Keep track of the nose and tail. Do not unfold the first wing.
9. Fold the second wing to match. Use the first wing as a reference. Hold the plane closed and compare the wing tips and the rear edges. Correct a mismatch before opening the wings.
10. Open the wings. Raise them so they extend to both sides of the body. Viewed from the nose, they should form a very shallow upward V. Keep the body pinched together.

Make your first throw useful

Find a clear space without a fan or strong breeze. Hold the body underneath, roughly a third of the way back from the nose. Keep the plane approximately level and use a smooth forward throw. A dart tolerates a firmer throw than a broad glider, but start with a moderate throw so you can see its natural path.

Watch the whole flight. A quick straight descent is different from a plane that climbs, slows, and drops. Record which happened before changing the folds. Make two or three similar throws; one poor release is not enough to diagnose a design.

If the dart does not fly straight

First compare the wings again. Then make a tiny change to the back edges rather than refolding the whole plane. For a persistent dive, try a slight upward bend on both rear edges. For a repeated climb-and-drop, reduce that bend and throw closer to level. Our flight troubleshooting guide explains how to separate these patterns.

The interactive version lets you rotate the paper at every step. Open the app, choose The Dart, and select Fold it. You can replay a motion without losing your place.