Kids usually ask how to make the best airplane in the room, but paper airplane designs are like tools in a toolbox: each one is built for a different job. This guide compares five classic designs, the dart, the glider, the locked-nose jet, the wide-wing and the loop plane, and explains why each flies the way it does.
For fold-by-fold help, see our basic folding guide (linked at the end). Here you get a short folding outline per design, the reason behind its flight, and a simple way to let your child test them like an engineer. That test is the honest answer to how to make a very good paper plane.
What makes a good paper airplane design?
Every plane, paper or metal, deals with four forces. NASA Glenn Research Center names them: weight pulls down, lift holds the plane up, drag is the air resisting the motion, and thrust pushes it forward3. A paper airplane has no engine, so it is a glider: your arm gives the thrust, and after that the plane is sliding down through the air34.
So the real question is how each shape trades lift against drag. NASA calls the ratio of lift to drag a sign of how efficient an airplane is, and says that for gliders a higher ratio means a flatter glide and more distance6. The shape and size of the wing both change how much lift you get8.
The distance from one wing tip to the other5.
Say it: “Which plane has the longest span? Measure with your hands.”Fly smoothly without an engine, sliding down through the air24.
Say it: “Did it glide or did it dive?”The back flap that tips the nose up or down1.
Say it: “If we bend the back edge up, where will the nose go?”Where the plane balances on your finger. Scientists call it the center of gravity7.
Say it: “Can you balance it on one finger? Where?”5 paper airplane designs, and what each is best at
| Design | Best at | Why it works | Wing shape | Good first pick for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dart | Speed, straight lines | Narrow body cuts through the air; it depends on a hard throw for lift8 | Short span, long and pointy | Ages 6 and up with a strong arm |
| Glider | Long, slow hang time | Long, slim wings give less drag and a flatter glide56 | Long span, slim chord | Ages 7 and up, indoor flights |
| Locked-nose jet | Steady, repeatable flights | Extra paper at the nose moves the balance point forward7 | Medium span, blunt nose | Ages 6 and up |
| Wide-wing | Gentle, forgiving flights | Big wing area gives lift even on a soft throw8 | Wide and deep | Ages 5 and up |
| Loop plane | Loops and tricks | Back edges bent up lift the nose, like an elevator1 | Any base, flaps bent up | Ages 7 and up |
1. The dart paper airplane: fast and straight
The dart is the plane most of us folded first. It is long and pointy, with narrow wings swept back. NASA describes wings with short spans or deep chords as low aspect ratio, and higher aspect ratio as the shape that gives lower drag and a better glide5. The dart sits at the low end, so it does not float. It goes where the throw sends it, fast. Lift depends on air speed8, so a weak throw makes a dart drop.
- Fold a letter sheet in half the long way, then open it.
- Fold the top corners to the center crease.
- Fold the new slanted edges to the center again for a sharp point.
- Fold in half along the crease, then fold each side down to make narrow wings.
2. The glider: the slow floater
A glider is built for hang time. Its wings are long from tip to tip and slim from front to back. NASA points to high performance gliders as the example of long, slim wings, because that shape cuts drag and improves the glide angle5. A smaller glide angle means the plane travels farther for the same drop in height4. Give it a soft, level push.
- Turn the sheet sideways. Fold the long top edge down in three narrow strips to make a firm front edge.
- Fold the sheet in half from left to right, then open it.
- Fold each side down along the center to make a thin body and very long wings.
- Bend the outer wing tips up a little for steadiness.
3. How to make a paper jet airplane with a locked nose
This jet-style plane is often called a Nakamura lock: the nose is folded down and then pinned in place with a small triangle of paper. Those extra layers sit at the front, so the balance point moves forward. NASA explains that a plane in flight turns around its center of gravity, and that finding that point is very important for any flying object7. With the balance point forward, it wobbles less and repeats its flight.
- Fold the corners to the center crease, then fold the whole top triangle down like an envelope flap.
- Fold the new top corners to the center, leaving a small tip of the triangle showing below them.
- Fold that small tip up over the corners. That is the lock.
- Fold in half with the lock on the outside, then fold the wings down.
4. The wide-wing plane: the forgiving one
Wide-wing designs have a blunt nose and broad wings with lots of surface. NASA lists wing size as one of the things that change the amount of lift8. More wing gives the plane something to ride on even when a five-year-old lets go with a gentle toss. It lands softly, which keeps young pilots happy.
- Fold the corners to the center crease, then fold the top point down flat so the nose is blunt.
- Fold in half, then fold the wings down close to the bottom so the body is short and the wings are wide.
- Bend each wing tip up about a finger-width to make small fins.
5. The loop plane: the stunt flyer
The loop plane is any steady base plane, usually the locked-nose jet, with the back edges of both wings bent up. STEPS to STEM, the science curriculum by Aaron Isabelle and Gilbert Zinn, shows children how a tail flap steers: with the elevator folded up, the tail moves down and the front of the plane moves up1. Bend the flaps up a bit for a gentle climb, more for a full loop. Bend one fin left or right to steer: in the book's rudder test, tail and nose swing opposite ways1.
The rudder helps the plane to change direction.1
- Fold a locked-nose jet.
- Pinch the back edge of each wing and bend a strip about a finger-width straight up.
- Throw it firmly and slightly upward. Adjust the flaps one small bend at a time.
The best airplane paper design is the one that does the job your child chose.
Which paper airplane design for which age
Can: Fold a wide-wing or dart with help on the first creases and say if it glided or dived2.
Try: Wide-wing first, then the dart.
Can: Fold the locked-nose jet alone and predict what one flap change will do1.
Try: Glider and loop plane, with a flight log.
How to make a really good paper plane: run a five-plane tryout
DK's 1000 Words STEM gives the parts of an experiment in kid words: question, prediction, method, results, conclusion2. Use them out loud. Knowing how to make a really good paper plane starts here. The question: which design is best at distance, and which is best at staying up?
The five-plane tryout
- 5 sheets of the same paper
- Painter's tape for a throwing line
- A hallway or yard with no wind
- Pencil and the chart below
- Fold all five designs from the same kind of paper, so paper is not the difference.
- Your child predicts: which plane goes farthest? Which stays up longest?
- Same thrower, same line, same push. Three throws per plane.
- Count steps to the landing spot, and count seconds in the air out loud.
- Circle the winner for each job. Ask: was your prediction right?
| Plane | Prediction | Steps (3 throws) | Seconds in air | Best at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXAMPLE: Dart | Farthest | 9, 11, 10 | 2, 2, 1 | Distance |
| Glider | ____ | ____ | ____ | ____ |
| Locked-nose jet | ____ | ____ | ____ | ____ |
| Wide-wing | ____ | ____ | ____ | ____ |
| Loop plane | ____ | ____ | ____ | ____ |
The pointiest plane is always the best.
- Creases pressed flat
- Both wings matched
- Flaps bent the same on both sides, unless you want a turn
- Flight path clear of faces and pets
Frequently asked questions
What is the best paper airplane for kids?
It depends on the job. For young kids, a wide-wing plane is most forgiving, since wing size changes lift8. For floating flights, pick the glider: long, slim wings glide better5.
How do you make a really good paper plane?
Fold on a hard table, press every crease flat and match the wings. Then tweak one fold at a time. A small upward bend at the back edge lifts a diving nose1.
Is a dart paper airplane good for distance?
A dart is fast and straight, but its stubby wings glide poorly, so it goes about as far as the throw sends it58.
Is a paper airplane the same as an origami airplane?
Mostly yes. An origami airplane is folded with no cuts or tape, and all five designs here can be. Either way it is a glider with no engine4.
What makes an awesome paper airplane do loops?
Bend the back edges of both wings up. In the STEPS to STEM tail model, an elevator folded up moves the nose up1. With enough bend and a firm throw, the nose keeps rising into a loop.
Keep exploring
- How to make a paper airplane, step by step Fold-by-fold help.
- How to make a paper airplane that flies far Distance and throwing.
- Why paper planes nosedive, and how your kid can steer one on purpose Flaps and steering.
If you want a kit for this
Paper covers everything above. If your child wants to keep experimenting with flight after the tryout, our RC Paper Airplane Kit is made for The Builder stage, ages 5-7.
Build it with / Ages 5-7RC Paper Airplane KitFold it, fly it, crash it, fix it.$44.99GoP Toys sells the kit mentioned above. None of the sources cited tested our products.