glideratio

Nakamura Lock Paper Airplane

Fly Paper

Introduction

Many of my Scientific Explorations use a paper airplane.
Here are instructions for folding one that flies well.

Material

8.5 x 11 sheet of paper, or A4 paper

Assembly

1. Fold a sheet of

paper in half lengthwise.

Unfold so that the

crease is 'valley' side up.

2. Fold the top corners

down to the center fold.

3. Fold the tip down.

4. Fold about one inch

of the tip up; unfold.

5. Fold the top corners down to the center fold

so that the corners meet above the fold in the tip.

(Note that the the nose of the plane should be blunt.)

6. Fold the tip up.

This is the Nakamura lock.

7. Fold the entire plane in half so that

the tip is on the outside.

8. Fold the wings down.

Trim and fly!

Trimming

Hold the plane as shown in the top photograph.

Hold it level and launch it forward, not too fast and not too slow.

If the plane nose dives into the ground bend up the back of the wings, a little bend is enough.

If the planes nose rises then falls, a stall, then bend down the back edge of the wings a little.

	1. Fold a sheet of paper in half lengthwise. Unfold so that the crease is 'valley' side up.
	2. Fold the top corners down to the center fold.
	3. Fold the tip down.
	4. Fold about one inch of the tip up; unfold.
	5. Fold the top corners down to the center fold so that the corners meet above the fold in the tip. (Note that the the nose of the plane should be blunt.)
	6. Fold the tip up. This is the Nakamura lock.
	7. Fold the entire plane in half so that the tip is on the outside.
	8. Fold the wings down. Trim and fly!