Exploring paper airplane patterns is a favorite pastime for many kids and adults. Designs range from simple dart planes that kids can fold to complex Star Wars figures in the shape of spaceships.
Flying Paper Airplanes
A great way to have fun with paper airplanes is not just to fold them and display them, but to actually fly them. Make paper airplane models using different patterns at the same time and see which ones fly further, higher or faster. By figuring out what makes the planes fly the way they do, you can fold paper airplanes that have similar features. Look at planes that had similar flight patterns and see what they had in common in order to figure out which models are the best at each way of flying.
Online Paper Airplane Patterns
Useful origami websites are all over the Internet that have plenty of paper airplane patterns, designs and templates to download or follow. The easiest planes to fold are the ones that have printable patterns you simply download, print and fold or cut to create the plane. More complex patterns have only diagrams or online tutorials.
Microsoft Office templates include a number of printable patterns for airplane folders to download. Print out these designs:
Fun Paper Airplanes is one site that offers several patterns to download and print from your home computer. Instructions are also included with the printed patterns, so you can do them whenever or wherever you desire, rather than sitting at the desk referring to online instructions. Paper planes are divided into difficulty levels and beginner levels also include video instructions.
Ken Blackburn, holder of the Guinness World Record for paper airplane flight, has several links to paper airplane patterns. Some are from Workman, one is from Blackburn and there is also a long list of planes sent from viewers.
More patterns, templates and designs can be found at a multitude of websites.
- Scroll down to the bottom of AviationExplorer.com's page and find a printable pattern for an Eastern Airlines paper airplane with folding instructions, followed by 12 more diagrammed patterns for other planes.
- Alex's Paper Airplanes has a long list of paper airplanes, categorized from easy to hard. Try the easy rapier, the medium difficulty dragon plane or the hard sabertooth paper airplane. A few fun ones are included, too, such as a helicopter and blimp.
- Joseph Palmer has four different paper airplane designs on his website. All four are meant to fly and none require cutting or taping.
- Kyong Lee's Amazing Paper Airplanes has numerous designs for folders to try out. Make a Delta Fighter or even a cruise missile using the patterns and diagrams. Look in the unusual designs section to find ideas that include making a triplet set of planes that are meant to represent the Blue Angels or make a Boeing 717.
- The Online Paper Airplane Museum has a humungous database of airplanes, categorized alphabetically. This is a great way to find a pattern, diagram, video instruction or tutorial of a particular model you've wanted to fold.
- Not all paper airplanes need to fly. Try making something unique with a pattern for a paper airplane Father's Day card from Martha Stewart.
In addition to the origami patterns and instructions for paper airplanes at other websites, LoveToKnow Origami has resources available to help you create your own flying creation. Read the article Japanese Origami Paper Airplane or follow along with the tutorial slideshow How to Build the Perfect Paper Airplane for more help with paper plane folding.
