31 Oct

How to make a paper aeroplane

by Richard Things to do with paper

Paper aeroplanes are really gliders that glide on air. There shape is aerodynamic, which means it allows air to pass around it easily. The more air that can pass around your shape, the faster your shape will travel. Did you know that in some countries, aeroplane is spelt airplane? Paper areoplanes are easy to build and easy to fly! Here are two of the more famous models. The Bulldog Dart, and The Harrier.

How to make the Bulldog Dart

Take a piece of A4 paper and fold it in half length ways

Unfold the piece of paper, and you will see you have a fold, like a line right down the middle. Taking one of the top corners, and fold it so that it meets the fold in the middle. This should make a triangle shape.

. Once this is done, do the same with the other side so that it looks like the picture below. As you can see, it looks like a house.

. Turn the piece of paper over, so that you cant see the flaps. Carefully fold the piece of paper from the top and the right hand edge so that it meets in the middle. It should look like this.

Do the same for the left.

Now, fold the point at the top, so that it touches the paper, not too much, about halfway between where the paper meets. See below

Fold the plane in half length ways, and then rotate it so that it is on its side

. Take care when doing this next part as it is very easy to make a mistake. Take the top of the wing, and fold it in half so that it meets the bottom corner. Make sure you smooth out any creases, and you keep a careful eye on where it is folding at the front of the plane.

Turn the plane over, and do the same for the next wing.

Now straighten the wings, and your Bulldog dart is ready for a test flight. How does it fly?

How to make the Harrier

The Harrier, as you can see looks far more sleek. This is considered to be a very good stunt plane, as by bending the wings in certain ways, will make the plane spin and loop. When planes do this in the sky it is called areobatics. To make the Harrier Take a piece of A4 paper and fold it in half length ways

Unfold the piece of paper, and you will see you have a fold, like a line right down the middle. Taking one of the top corners, and fold it so that it meets the fold in the middle. This should make a triangle shape. Once this is done, do the same with the other side so that it looks like the picture below. As you can see, it looks like a house.

Yes, it begins exactly like the Bulldog Dart, but here is where the differences begin. Fold the point at the top so that it looks like an envelope.

Then fold the corners so that they meet in the middle, and do the same for both sides. You should have a small triangle- a flap, at the bottom.

Now fold that small triangle upwards.

Turn the plane over, and fold the plane in half.

Then carefully fold down the wings like you did for the Bulldog Dart. Dont forget to do both of them.

Your Harrier is ready to fly!

Which one do you like best? Which one flies the best?