The best things about paper airplanes are that they allow you to be creative and that
paper is easily accessible. You can use any type of paper — like newspaper.
That allows you to try lots of things and see what happens — opening the door to creativity
and seeing science fly. There are a few secrets to making a paper
airplane that flies well. People tend to focus on the folding pattern and the throw.
These two things are important, but what is often overlooked are the fine-tuning adjustments.
Adjustment 1: Bend the back edge of the wing up a little bit; this prevents nose dives.
Just pinch the back edge between your fingertips and bend upward to create a small flap.
The amount varies plane to plane; you have to watch its flight and bend up more if your
plane dives and reduce the amount if it climbs too much.
Adjustment 2: The wingtips should be higher than the middle of the airplane, just like
on real airplanes and birds. This is called dihedral, and it keeps the plane from entering
a death spiral and helps it fly better also.
Don’t be afraid to experiment! Try different size wingtips or try angling the wingtips
more out or in. Try different flap settings or different throwing speeds or throwing angles.
Try making the folds in a slightly different location. Try to have a contest at home to
see who lands closest to the center of the room, who takes the fewest throws to land
once in each room in the house, or who can get an airplane the farthest down the hall.