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, and open it.
This is your guide line.
02
Fold the top edge down
Fold the top edge down ⅞ in (2.2 cm). Keep it straight across.Fold the top edge down 2.4 cm (⅞ in). Keep it straight across.
Line it up with the sides of the page.
03
Roll it again
Fold that strip down once more, the same width.
The rolled strip stacks layers along the front edge.
04
Fold the top corners in
Fold the top-right corner down so the rolled edge lies along the center crease.
Fold right over the strip. It is thick, so press firmly.
05
And the left corner
Same on the left side.
The two edges meet on the crease.
06
Fold it in half
Fold in half along the crease with the flaps inside.
Press from nose to tail.
07
Mark the tail triangle
Mark 1¾ in (4.3 cm) forward from the back of the center fold. Make another mark ¾ in (2.1 cm) straight across from that back end. Crease through both marks, then unfold.Mark 4.3 cm (1¾ in) forward from the back of the center fold. Make another mark 2.1 cm (¾ 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.
08
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.
09
Fold down the first wing
Fold the top layer down on a slant: 3 in (7.6 cm) from the center fold at the nose, 1 in (2.5 cm) from it at the tail.Fold the top layer down on a slant: 7.6 cm (3 in) from the center fold at the nose, 2.5 cm (1 in) from it at the tail.
The crease slants: farther from the center fold at the nose than at the tail. Measure both ends.
10
Turn it over
Flip the plane over.
Nose pointing away.
11
Fold down the second wing
Fold this wing down on the same slant as the first one.
Compare the wings: an unequal pair is the usual cause of a turn.
12
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.

Check that the raised tail has not pulled one wing root out of alignment. Straighten the fin without flattening the entire body.

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. Release gently, just above level.

Rolled edge. The rolled strip is the stiff front of the wing. If it starts to unroll at one end, re-press it; a loose roll changes one wing more than the other.
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 Reed will fly.

More rolled leading edges

Instead of a point, the top edge is rolled down two or three times into a stiff strip. The wings stay broad, and the rolled edge becomes the front of each wing.