1. Fold a piece of A4 paper lengthwise, push the fold so it makes a sharp crease, then unfold it …
2. Fold in flaps at 45º, but not quite to the centre line. (Not quite to the centre line)3. Fold like this, holding the paper with a finger as you fold so it doesn’t bunch up in the middle.4. Fold 1cm of the tip down.– like that.5. Now fold the two halves up around the centre line.6. Fold one side down, along a line parallel with that first fold you did.7. – and then the other side.8. Fold the sides up … 9. … and stick a piece of tape along the join, to keep it together. Make sure the wings are slightly raised along their edges, for stability.10. Cut a slit 1cm ling, 2cm in from the edge of each wing at the back of the plane.11. Fold up and crease each of the flaps you have created, and angle them up slightly – this will push the nose up as the plane travels through the air.12. Hold it like this, aiming slightly downwards, and throw – not too hard.
13. Experiment with different positions of the flaps. What happens if one flap is up and the other down?14. … or both flaps are down?We could make the same design in card instead, and then make a hole near the nose (this nose is unfolded), tape a small piece of kebab stick through to use as a launcher with a rubber band. Works well.This is what I’m working on at the moment: made of just two pieces of paper, some tape and a kebab stick.It has a real aerofoil and a tailplane. It’s unstable at the moment, but I’m working on it.
