1. Starting with a regular piece of 8 ½ " by 11" paper, fold your paper lengthwise creating two congruent rectangles.
 
 
 
 

2. "Square up" your paper. Unfold your paper.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

3. "Square up" your paper using the other diagonal. Make sharp creases. Unfold your paper.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

4. Bring the top over while pushing the two shorter sides in toward the center. Press flat. It should resemble an isosceles triangle on top of a rectangle.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

5. Bring the left and right corners of the top triangle only up to the vertex of the vertex angle. This should create two small congruent triangles on top.
 
 
 
 

6.Fold the vertex angle down about one inch.
 
 
 
 
 
 

7.Fold the airplane into two congruent halves, forming pentagons (one behindthe other). The "smooth" side should be on the outside.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

8.With the nose of the plane facing left, fold each side down to form the wings of the plane. The top of the nose should be one end of each crease and both creases for the wings should be parallel with the base of the airplane.
 
 
 
 
 

9. Fold the bottom edge of each wing back up about ½" forming a small trapezoid on each wing.
 
 
 
 
 
 

10. To make the rudder of the plane, start about 1" from the rear of the airplane and cut from the bottom edge up to the wing crease. Push this piece up through the plane above the wings.
 
 
 
 
 

11. Before flying your plane in competition, experiment with "weighting" your plane with such objects as pennies and/or paper clips in various locations. HAPPY FLYING!!!

Click here to go to the worksheet for this activity.

These activities were developed by Lisa Willian, geometry teacher at Hart County High School, Munfordville, KY 42765. Permission granted for classroom use only. Any other use must first be approved by the author.

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