Common Folds

When making paper airplanes, it is very common to fold something in half. Often it's the whole sheet but many times it's a flap or a large diagonal. Fold things in half as accurately as you can. Most airplanes rely on each half being exactly the same for balance and straight flight.

Another fairly common paper fold is called a reverse. This happens after a few creases are established in a flat sheet and then reversed to allow a section fold inside another. Usually the inside section will form the plane's tail or rudder.

Another common fold in origami as well as paper airplanes is called water-bomb. It gets its name from the small paper cube based on this fold which will really hold water. After folding a sheet in half, fold both the large diagonals which square the sheet. Turn the sheet over and fold a crease through the center of the "X" made by the two diagonal creases.

Now the sheet makes a complicated move we call the "praying hands" manuever. Both sides come up at the time to form an upright flap. Once in this position, the last step is to squash down the flap using existing creases until the paper is flat again. About half the planes in this program use this fold or a variation so it's important to be able to fold it well.