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How to fold an origami glider

A paper plane with its nose folded twice and locked by a little tab. It glides further and slower than the dart.

You need: 1 sheet of A4 or Letter paper. Medium, 11 steps, about 5 minutes.

Steps

  1. Crease the centre line. Fold in half lengthwise, crease, then unfold.
  2. Fold the top corners in. Fold both top corners so their top edges lie along the centre crease.
  3. Nose down. Fold the top point down along the bottom of the flaps.
  4. Corners to the centre. Fold the new top corners in to meet at the centre, leaving the tip of the point showing below.
  5. Lock it. Fold the little tip up over the flaps, creasing across its widest point where the flap edges cross it, to hold them in place.
  6. Fold in half. Mountain-fold in half along the centre, the lock on the outside.
  7. Turn it sideways. Rotate so the nose points left.
  8. Fold the first wing. Fold the top layer down along a line parallel to the bottom fold.
  9. Fold the second wing. Mountain-fold the back layer the same way, behind.
  10. Open the wings. Hold the body and lift both wings out until level, tips slightly up. Turn it upright, keel down.
  11. Launch it. Pinch the keel near the front, lift it to shoulder height and push it gently forward, nose slightly up. Let go and watch it glide.

Nice flight!

Launch it again. If it dives, bend the back edges of the wings up a little.

How to fly it

  1. Press the nose folds and the lock flat, then open the wings level in a shallow V, both at the same angle.
  2. Pinch the keel between thumb and finger, about a third of the way back from the nose.
  3. Hold it at shoulder height and push it gently straight forward, nose level or slightly up. Let go smoothly rather than throwing hard.
  4. If it dives nose first, bend the back edges of both wings up a little. If it climbs, stalls and drops, flatten them again.
  5. If it turns to one side, bend up the back edge of the other wing slightly. Reshape the wings after a hard landing.

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