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How to fold an origami airport

A real project. Reverse-fold a jet's tail fin and trim its nose, sweep a wing, then build a tower, terminal, fuel truck, baggage cart, windsock and a climbing plane, and stand it up.

You need: 19 pieces: navy, light blue A4, greys, teal, sand, blue, orange, yellow, green, red, purple and silver bits (sizes in steps). Scissors, glue.. Challenge, 46 steps, about 80 minutes.

Steps

  1. Jet: fold in half. Start with the jet: a 17 × 4.4 cm navy strip, white side up, lying long. Fold the top half behind, the long way. The fold is the jet's back.
  2. Jet: reverse-fold the tail. Outside-reverse-fold the right end up on a slant: open the layers and wrap them around the outside. The navy tail fin rises.
  3. Jet: trim the fin. Cut the top of the fin off flat, then trim its back edge so it stands up more steeply, through all layers.
  4. Jet: round the nose. Round the nose in small snips through both layers: a big curve on top for the cockpit, a small one underneath.
  5. Wing: new sheet. Set the jet aside. For the wing, take a 4.8 × 2.3 cm grey piece, grey side up.
  6. Wing: sweep it back. Cut the bottom-left and top-right corners off on long slants, as shown. The slim wing sweeps back like a jet's.
  7. Engine: new sheet. Set the wing aside. For the engine, take a 2.2 × 1 cm dark grey piece.
  8. Engine: round it. Round all four corners in small snips, the front ones more, so the engine is a fat capsule.
  9. Sky: new sheet. Set the engine aside. For the sky, take a light blue A4 sheet, blue side up, lying long. The whole airport is glued on it.
  10. Tower: new sheet. Set the sky aside. For the control tower, take a 1.8 × 8.2 cm pale grey strip, standing tall.
  11. Tower: taper it. Fold both long edges behind on a slant, from the bottom corners to 4 mm in at the top. The tower gets thinner as it rises.
  12. Tower cab: new sheet. Set the tower aside. For its glass cab, take a 4 × 3 cm dark teal piece, teal side up.
  13. Cab: slant the glass. Fold both bottom corners behind on a slant, 8 mm in at the bottom. The glass leans out, like a real control tower.
  14. Cab: the roof. Fold the top edge down in front, 5 mm. The white band is the roof.
  15. Terminal: new sheet. Set the cab aside. For the terminal, take an 8.8 × 3.8 cm sandy piece, coloured side up, lying long.
  16. Terminal: round the roof. Fold both top corners behind, 8 mm along each edge, so the roof curves down at the ends.
  17. Terminal: roof edge. Fold the top edge down in front, 5 mm, for a white roof edge.
  18. Windows: new sheet. Set the terminal aside. For its big windows, take a 7.2 × 2 cm blue piece, blue side up.
  19. Windows: neat edge. Fold the top edge behind 2 mm for a neat edge.
  20. Windsock pole: new sheet. Set the windows aside. For the windsock pole, take a 1.6 × 7.2 cm grey strip, standing tall.
  21. Pole: fold in half. Fold the left half behind, the long way.
  22. Pole: and again. Fold the left half behind again, so the pole is thin and stiff.
  23. Windsock: new sheet. Set the pole aside. For the windsock, take a 4.2 × 1.8 cm orange piece, orange side up, lying long.
  24. Windsock: taper it. Fold the top and bottom edges behind on slants, from the left corners to 5 mm in at the right end. It narrows like a windsock.
  25. Small plane: new sheet. Set the windsock aside. For the plane taking off, take an 8 × 2 cm yellow strip, yellow side up, lying long.
  26. Plane: fold in half. Fold the bottom half behind, the long way.
  27. Plane: tail up. Fold the left end up in front on a slant, as shown. It stands up as the tail.
  28. Plane: shape it. Cut the tail top off flat, and round the nose at the right end in small snips.
  29. Grass: new sheet. Set the plane aside. For the grass, take a 29.7 × 3.4 cm green strip, green side up, lying long.
  30. Grass: neat edge. Fold the top edge behind 4 mm, for a straight edge.
  31. Runway: new sheet. Set the grass aside. For the runway, take a 29.7 × 5.5 cm dark grey strip, grey side up, lying long.
  32. Runway: neat edge. Fold the top edge behind 3 mm, for a straight edge.
  33. Fuel tank: new sheet. Set the runway aside. Now the fuel truck. For its tank, take a 5 × 2.7 cm silver piece, lying long.
  34. Tank: round the ends. Round all four corners in small snips, so the tank is a long capsule.
  35. Truck cab: new sheet. Set the tank aside. For the truck cab, take a 2.4 cm red square, red side up.
  36. Cab: windscreen. Fold the top-left corner down in front on a slant, 1 cm along each edge. The white triangle is the windscreen.
  37. Baggage cart: new sheet. Set the cab aside. For the baggage cart, take a 4.8 × 1.3 cm blue strip, blue side up, lying long.
  38. Cart: the rim. Fold the top edge down in front, 3 mm. The white rim is the cart's rail.
  39. Suitcase: new sheet. Set the cart aside. For a suitcase, take a 1.9 × 1.8 cm orange piece, coloured side up.
  40. Suitcase: round corners. Fold all four corners behind, 3 mm along each edge, for a soft suitcase.
  41. Second suitcase: new sheet. Set the suitcase aside. For a suitcase, take a 1.9 × 1.4 cm green piece, coloured side up.
  42. Second suitcase: round corners. Fold all four corners behind, 3 mm along each edge, for a soft suitcase.
  43. Third suitcase: new sheet. Set the suitcase aside. For a suitcase, take a 2.2 × 1.3 cm purple piece, coloured side up.
  44. Third suitcase: round corners. Fold all four corners behind, 3 mm along each edge, for a soft suitcase.
  45. Build the airport. Glue the sky down, then tower, terminal, windsock, climbing plane, grass, runway, truck and cart. The jet goes on the runway, wing and engine on its side.
  46. Stand it up. Bend the sky gently towards you between the cart and the jet and stand the whole airport up on the table.

Cleared for take-off!

Draw the jet's windows, cockpit and wheels, the tower's antenna, window frames, runway lines, truck and cart wheels, and white clouds and a contrail.

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