How to make a canard paper airplane
Canard Paper Airplane: try all 12 steps in the 3D player. Turn and replay every move. Print the complete diagram sheet or save it as PDF.
An Origami Tutor cut-and-fold canard plane with small swept front wings and broad rear wings. Both pairs open at the same height above a shallow keel, with a clear gap between them. Flight performance has not been tested.
- You need
- One sheet of letter paper, scissors and a ruler.
- Start
- Lay a sheet of letter paper in front of you, short edge at the top. Have scissors and a ruler ready to mark and cut the outline.
- Tips
- Match the two cut outlines before folding the wings.
- Keep both wing pairs at the same shallow angle and the left and right sides symmetrical.
Your model is ready
Hold the shallow keel to try a gentle, level launch. Adjust the two sides equally.
Step-by-step diagrams
Steps 1–7
- 1
Cut the left outline
Start on the top edge ⅝ inch left of the middle. Cut down 1¼ inches, out to a small wingtip 2½ inches left of the middle and 3¼ inches below the top, then back to the body 3¾ inches below the top. Continue down to 5 inches below the top, then slope out to the left edge 8¾ inches below the top and follow that edge to the bottom. Remove the outside scrap.
- 2
Cut the right outline
Mark and cut the mirror image on the right. The small front wings and broad rear wings remain joined by the narrow middle strip.
- 3
Crease the middle
Fold right to left along the middle of the body, crease, and open.
- 4
Point the left side of the nose
Fold the top left corner of the narrow nose strip to the center line, ⅝ inch below the top.
- 5
Point the right side of the nose
Fold the right corner to the same point. The nose now has a sharp central tip.
- 6
Fold the body in half
Fold the right half behind the left along the center crease, with the nose folds outside.
- 7
Fold the first canard
Fold the front wing down where it meets the narrow body strip. Move only the front packet.
Steps 8–12
- 8
Fold the second canard
Fold the matching front wing behind along the same line.
- 9
Fold the first main wing
Fold the large rear wing down along the same body edge. The cut-out gap separates it from the small canard.
- 10
Fold the second main wing
Fold the other large wing behind to match. All four wing roots are the same distance from the body's center fold.
- 11
Spread the main wings
Open both broad rear wings away from the shallow keel. Leave an even, shallow V with the wingtips a little above the roots.
- 12
Spread the forewings
Open both small front wings to match the main wings. The cut gaps keep the two pairs separate; leave the left and right sides even. Then turn the plane upright, keel below.
- ✓
Finish
Hold the shallow keel to try a gentle, level launch. Adjust the two sides equally.
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