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 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.
07
Mark the nose tuck
Crease across the nose ¾ in (1.8 cm) back from its point. Open that crease again.Crease across the nose 1.7 cm (⅝ in) back from its point. Open that crease again.
Fold the two sides together, press, then unfold. This is only a guide.
08
Tuck the nose inside
Ease the two sides apart. Push the point between them along your crease, then close the body.
The point hides inside. One side turns up and the other turns down.
09
Mark the tail triangle
Mark 2½ in (6.3 cm) forward from the back of the center fold. Make another mark 1¼ in (3.0 cm) straight across from that back end. Crease through both marks, then unfold.Mark 6.3 cm (2½ in) forward from the back of the center fold. Make another mark 3.0 cm (1¼ in) straight across from that back end. Crease through both marks, then unfold.
Fold the two sides together, press, then unfold. This is only a guide.
10
Reverse the tail into a fin
Open the back of the body a little. Push the small triangle between the sides and lift its point. Close the body around it.
Keep the wings out of the pocket. The small upright point is your tail fin.
11
Fold down the first wing
Fold the top layer down on a slant: ½ in (1.1 cm) from the center fold at the nose, 1¼ in (3.2 cm) from it at the tail.Fold the top layer down on a slant: 1.1 cm (½ in) from the center fold at the nose, 3.2 cm (1¼ in) from it at the tail.
The slant sweeps the wings back.
12
Turn it over
Flip the plane over so the other side faces up.
Keep the nose pointing the same way.
13
Fold down the second wing
Fold this wing down on the same slant as the first one.
Hold the two wings together to check they line up.
14
Open the wings
Keep the center body pinched closed. Open both wings, then lift their tips into a shallow Y.

Check the shape

From behind: this is the view to compare with your plane.

Inspect the front pocket, rear fin, and wing slopes as three checkpoints. Solve a folding mismatch before using trim to compensate for it.

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: Hold the middle of the body and throw firmly along a level line.

Tucked nose. The pocket at the front should stay closed. If it has opened, squeeze it gently back along the marking crease instead of flattening the whole nose.
Tail fin. Grip the body ahead of the fin. Pinching the tail flattens the fin you just reversed upward. Straighten it before each throw.

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.

Full troubleshooting guide →

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 Firecrest will fly.

More tucked noses

An inside reverse fold pushes the point back between the body layers, leaving a closed pocket at the front. The technique is fiddly the first time and very tidy once learned.