About the Dart
The classic paper plane. Lift grows with the square of speed, so small wings like these want a good, hard throw.
Paper Plane Academy › Fast
How to fold the Dart
Quick and true. 8 folds from a plain sheet, easy. Drag the red corner along its arrow, or press Fold.
- A first plane
- Speed
Fold it alongStep by stepFly it wellPrint it
There it goes: the dart you folded is flying on this page. Catch it, and throw it again.
Folding a real one? Print its template: every crease, numbered.
How it flies: fast
Slim and quick, dead straight. Quick and true: the one everyone learns first.
Where it comes from
Nobody knows: it’s the oldest paper plane there is. “Paper darts” turn up in a magazine story from 1786, and folding instructions in boys’ books from 1859 on.
Sources: David Mitchell, the history of the paper dartStep by step
moves fold here where it ends up
Fold the top left corner to the middle.
Now the other corner.
Fold the new edge to the middle.
And the other one.
Fold it in half along the middle.
Fold the wing down, along the keel.
Turn it over.
And fold the other wing to match.
Open the wings out, level with the keel. Hold it under its middle and throw it gently, straight ahead.
Fly it well
How to throw it
Hard and level, from the shoulder, like throwing a dart. Its small wings need speed to lift: thrown gently, it just sinks.
If it misbehaves
- Dives? Bend the back edges of the wings up a hair.
- Swoops up? Flatten them again.
- Veers? Check both wings match before anything else.
More help
Fix your paper plane: nose-dives, stalls, turns and wobbles, and the bends that trim them out. Or see which plane is best for what you want.
Watch it folded
The Basic DartFold 'N Fly, on YouTubeThe classic dart, folded step by step.More planes to fold
Gliderfloaty, wide loopsSuzannethe distance record: glides on and onArrowslim, fast, dead straightHeavy dartgoes far, sinks fastLoopertight loops, rolls easilyNakamura locksteady, rarely stallsBulldog darta blunt nose: steady and toughHarriera locked nose, pointed wings: steady and quickHammera snub nose, long slim wings: flies far and true