Who doesn’t love the ability to something that flies out of a piece of paper?
There’s a reason adults get a sparkle in their eye while they get paper ready to compete against their inner child. Building and flying paper airplanes is just plain fun!
Perhaps you have been asked to make one for a party game or your helping someone with an art class assignment. Maybe you just want your children or grand children to learn about flight, physics and engineering. Or maybe it’s that inner child that loves building things and seeing them come together in beautiful ways. Admit it, you'll probably smile when they see the finished product flying through the air! Regardless, making a paper airplane is super easy! Here are few tips...
Making A Paper Airplane
How to Choose the Right Paper Airplane Template
With so many different paper airplane designs out there, it can be hard to know which one is right for you or your kids. Here are a few things to consider when choosing a paper airplane:
- What is your goal? Are you trying to fly the farthest? Get the most air time? Make the tightest turns? There are different paper airplane designs that excel in each category, so knowing your goal will help you narrow down your options.
- How much time do you have? If you're looking for a quick and easy project, you'll want a paper airplane that doesn't require too much folding or assembly. On the other hand, if you're willing to put in some extra time for a more complex design, you'll have more options to choose from.
- Do you want to design your own custom paper plane or download simply download a template? We have everything from print ready paper plane templates to . You can even color your own with our paper airplane coloring sheets.
- If you’re making a paper airplane for an art class or something like that, you might want to choose an airplane that has a certain artistic appeal. If you just want to have fun, choose whatever makes you happy or looks awesome!
Customize Your Plane with the Paper Airplane Builder
If you’re feeling creative, you can make a custom paper airplane by adding logos, graphics, or skins with any image editing program. Alternatively, you can use markers or stickers to create a cool design. However, if you're looking for the ultimate in paper airplane design technology our online is right up your alley.
Getting your materials ready
You don’t need any special equipment to make a paper airplane, all you really need is a piece of paper. However, if you want to make a more advanced paper airplane you might also need a few extra materials.
- Paper: Choosing the right paper helps with the flight. I've always used standard 8.5 x 11 printer paper. It's easy to get, has a good weight and it's pretty inexpensive.
- Printer: If you're looking for a unique and creative paper airplane you'll want a printer. Color will produce the most vibrant results but if you're short of colored ink black and white prints will still create a fun and engaging look.
- Paper clips: Paper clips are great for creating a balanced paper plane. They're generally used on the fuselage to create weight or offset a heavy nose or tail.
- Scissors: Some templates require cutting while others can be built without cutting. If you're looking to create more lift or drag or if you want your plane to do stunts you can also use scissors to create flaps on the wings.
- Tape: Rigidity is important to consistent flight, that's where tape comes in. It can be used to keep the plane's shape which helps with flight but also aesthetics. Tape can also be used to make minor weight adjustments to the nose, tail or wings. When it comes to balancing I actually prefer tape over paper clips as it doesn't fall off or shift.
Folding your paper airplane
Folding your paper airplane accurately is important if you want to achieve the best flight. There are a number of folding techniques that will help with this but a good set of folding instructions and a few test folds will usually render a good starting point.
Share your paper planes with friends and family
Paper airplanes are great to share with friends and family. You can take turns throwing them down a hall or set up a basket or box to see who can make it in first. You can even use them to make crafts or party decorations!
No matter how you fold it, paper airplanes are a great way to entertain or celebrate any occasion.
