Article Surfing Archive

The 7 Key Features to Folding and Flying the Perfect Paper Airplane

> What type of paper is the best to use? Any 8 1/2 x 11 inch white sheet of paper can be used. However a thicker paper such as photo printer paper provides for better creasing and alignment.

> How do I make my paper airplane perform loops and curls? For most planes, fold the tips of the wings up slightly. Do not bend too much or your plane will climb slowly and then will come to a quick crash.

> What happens if my paper airplane flys to the left or the right? Make sure the center body of the plane is straight and aligned.

> Why does my paper airplane crash so quickly? Much of the time your paper airplane was not folded tightly causing too much drag on the unaligned body. Be sure to make tight folds, which create a streamline flying machine!

> How can I get my paper airplane to fly higher? A trick is to throw the plane in the direction of the wind blowing towards you. It will actually lift the plane upwards and may even levitate for a bit, but will not give you farther distance.

> How can I get my paper airplane to perform dives? To make your paper airplane dive, go quickly down towards the ground then pull up before crashing, hold your plane as high above your head as you can or throw off of a high area. Good places can be your balcony, stairs or even a stadium. Make sure you fold the tips of the wings up, then point the nose DOWN towards the ground and drop the plane - don't give a thrust.

> How can I make my paper airplane perform a backwards dive? To make your plane fly down then loop upside down and backwards, hold your plane as high above your head as you can or throw off of a high area. Good places can be your balcony, stairs or even a stadium. Make sure you fold the tips of the wings up, then point the nose UP towards the sky and drop the plane - don't give a thrust.