How to make a paper aeroplane that flies far: designs, balance and throwing

TUREFF• •0

A paper aeroplane is origami that is also a small experiment in aerodynamics. Whether you want it to go a long way, stay up for a long time or fly straight in a classroom, the same few principles decide how it flies. This guide compares common designs, explains balance, and covers how to throw.

Distance or time in the air?

These are different goals, and the best plane for one is rarely best for the other.

For distance: a narrow, heavy-nosed dart with small wings, thrown hard. It cuts through the air with little drag.
For time aloft: a glider with wide wings and a light, balanced body, thrown gently. It sinks slowly instead of shooting forward.

Designs compared

The classic dart: the plane most people learn first. Fold a sheet of A4 or letter paper in half lengthways, fold the top corners into the centre, fold the new slanted edges into the centre again, then fold the whole thing in half and fold the wings down. It is fast and goes quite far, but it can dive or roll without adjustment.
The Nakamura lock and similar locked designs: the nose is folded back on itself and locked with a small flap. This puts extra weight in the nose and holds the layers together, so the plane keeps its shape and glides steadily. A good all-rounder.
Wide-wing gliders: blunt-nosed planes with broad, flat wings. They fly slowly and float, and they suit indoor flying and time-in-the-air contests.
Long-distance designs: the planes used for distance contests are usually compact darts with a heavily layered nose, carefully trimmed and thrown with a strong, practised arm.

Centre of gravity: the key to a good flight

The centre of gravity is the point where the plane balances. The centre of lift is roughly where the wings push up. For a stable flight, the centre of gravity should sit a little ahead of the centre of lift, so the nose is slightly heavier. You can test this by balancing the plane on a fingertip under the body. In most good designs it balances somewhere around the front third of the plane.

Too tail-heavy: the plane pitches up, slows, stalls and drops. Add weight to the nose, for example with one more fold or a small paper clip.
Too nose-heavy: it dives straight down. Fold the nose back a little less, or bend the back edges of the wings up slightly.

Trimming the flight

Small bends at the back edges of the wings act like the control surfaces on a real aircraft.

Diving: bend both back edges up a little (a few millimetres is enough).
Climbing then stalling: flatten those bends, or bend the edges very slightly down.
Turning left or right: bend the back edge of one wing up, or straighten a wing that has twisted. Bending the right wing's back edge up tends to turn the plane right, and vice versa.
Rolling over: check the two wings are the same size and angle.

Make the wings slightly angled upward from the body (a shallow Y shape when seen from the front). This is called dihedral, and it helps the plane level itself.

Folding well

Crisp, symmetrical creases matter more than the design. Run a fingernail along every fold.
Keep the body straight. A twisted body makes the plane curve.
Fresh, flat paper flies better than paper that has been crumpled.
Standard printer paper works well; very thin paper flutters and very thick paper is too heavy for its wing size.

Throwing technique

Darts and distance planes: hold the body near the centre of gravity, throw hard and straight, slightly upward rather than flat, like throwing a ball a long way. Too steep and the plane stalls.
Gliders: a gentle, level push. Throwing a glider hard makes it climb, stall and drop.
Outdoors: throw into a light breeze, not with it, for a longer flight, and avoid gusty days.
Indoors: the best place for testing, because still air shows you what the plane really does.

Adjust only one thing at a time and throw several times after each change, or you will not know what made the difference.

A simple experiment

Fold two copies of the same plane, add a paper clip to the nose of one, and compare. Then try moving the clip back. It is an easy way to see centre of gravity at work, and a good science project for children. What design flies furthest for you, and what trick made the biggest difference? Share your best plane, or ask why yours keeps diving, in the comments.