How to make a Harrier paper airplane
Harrier Paper Airplane: try all 13 steps in the 3D player. Turn and replay every move. Print the complete diagram sheet or save it as PDF.
An Origami Tutor Harrier-style glider: wide wings with raked tips and a sharp nose locked shut from behind. Thrown smoothly, it glides long and level.
- You need
- One sheet of letter paper (A4 works too). No glue or scissors.
- Start
- Lay a sheet of letter paper in front of you, short edge at the top.
- Tips
- Fold both wingtips by the same amount: uneven tips turn the plane to one side.
- If it dives, bend the back edges of both wings up a little; if it stalls, flatten them.
Your model is ready
Hold the body under the wings and launch it smoothly and level.
Step-by-step diagrams
Steps 1–7
- 1
Crease the middle
Fold the paper in half from left to right, crease it, and open it again.
- 2
Fold the left corner in
Fold the top left corner down so the top edge lies along the center crease.
- 3
Fold the right corner in
Fold the top right corner the same way. The top is now a point.
- 4
Fold the left edge in
Fold the new slanted left edge to the center crease, making the nose sharper.
- 5
Fold the right edge in
Fold the slanted right edge to the center crease the same way.
- 6
Lock the nose behind
Fold the tip of the nose back behind, about two inches down. This small triangle on the back holds the nose folds shut.
- 7
Fold in half
Fold the plane in half along the center crease, with the nose folds on the outside.
Steps 8–13
- 8
Fold the first wing down
Fold the top wing down along a line that starts just beside the nose and ends about an inch and a half from the body's fold at the back.
- 9
Fold the first wingtip
Fold the broad rear corner of the wing back over it along a line parallel to the wing's first fold.
- 10
Fold the second wing behind
Fold the other wing back along the same line as the first.
- 11
Fold the second wingtip
Fold the corner of the back wing behind along the same line as the first, so the two match.
- 12
Raise both wingtips
Open both folded wingtip flaps halfway, so each will stand above its wing. Keep the two sides even.
- 13
Spread both wings
Open both broad wings away from the keel, carrying their raised tips with them. Leave an even, shallow V and keep the nose lock closed. Then turn the plane upright, keel below.
- ✓
Finish
Hold the body under the wings and launch it smoothly and level.
Fold next
Paper airplane ↗
The classic dart: a sheet of letter paper, a sharp nose and two wings, ready to fly across the room.
Easy paper airplane ↗
An Origami Tutor paper airplane with the fewest folds: two corners, one fold in half and two wings. A good first plane for kids, with broad wings that glide gently.
Paper glider ↗
An Origami Tutor paper glider with a blunt nose and broad, straight-tipped wings. Thrown gently, it floats slowly across the room instead of darting.
Distance dart ↗
An Origami Tutor distance dart: a slim dart whose point is folded down to lock the nose folds, so the weight sits up front and the nose stays shut on a hard, long throw.