Entry Number One...
The Best Paper Airplane (in my opinion)
I decided to start off with a paper airplane because they're relatively easy to make, and thus pretty non-threatening, they use cheap and easily accessible materials, and finally, because they're innocently, irresistibly fun and a harmless nuisance to people with no sense of humor.
To make this one, you'll need two (2) sheets of 8 1/2" x 11" letter-sized (A-4 will do) typing or printer paper. If these are unwrinkled, that is for the best. A a couple of tiny pieces of clear tape will also come in handy.
You will fold both pieces of paper identically up to a point, and then you will continue on with just one (I'll let you know when) in the end, you will be joining these two...
First, NEATLY fold both pieces in half lengthwise (opposite corners on the shorter dimension should just neatly touch) The neatness and accuracy of this fold is crucial and pivotal in the making of almost all types of paper airplane. Crease this fold on both pieces. This will put you at the first sketch in the illustration below. (My thanks to Wikipedia)
Second, fold in the two upper corners, as in the second sketch of row one. The two corners should meet on the center seam to form a half-square (point up) composed of two smaller squares. Crease.
Third, fold the newly formed two outside corners in as well. Crease. You will now have TWO pieces of paper folded to look like the first sketch in the second row down of the illustration. Set one of these aside for now and proceed to fold the other piece as follows...
Fourth, you should now fold the whole of this piece in half along the first fold (second row sketches). It should look from the side like the third sketch in the second row.
Fifth, (again, as seen from the side) you will make the wing surfaces by folding the two top edges out and down, so that the leading edge of each wing lines up along the bottom (very first) fold. Crease.This should look very similar indeed to the sketches on the bottom row of the illustration.
Finally, and this is where we part from the illustration - so pay careful attention - lay the first (incomplete paper down with the folded side upwards, and the point away from you (because it might be sharp). Now, take the second (complete) paper and turn it upside-down (center crease up), and point it safely away from you as well. Slip the completed one into the wing folds of the partial one, so that the two are joined, and make the two points meet as one. That bottom center seam should now protrude from between the wing folds like a keel. Now, use those two little pieces of tape to overlap the joint on the undersides of the wings on both sides, thus securing the two folded parts of each wing to each other. In the photo below, I have used bits of blue sticky-note paper to indicate the position of the tape pieces.
This paper airplane is my personal favorite. It glides both fast and far, is a graceful flyer, and has a fairly hard nose for the occasionally ungraceful landing. Happy flying!
