How to make a hammer paper airplane
Hammer Paper Airplane (Square-Nose Glider): follow 9 steps in 3D. Turn and replay each move. Print the diagrams or save a PDF.
An Origami Tutor square-nosed glider, a hammer-style plane: the nose is folded back on itself into a thick, straight band, and broad wings spread behind it. It glides slow and steady.
- 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
- Crease the nose band flat and hard: its weight keeps the glider from stalling.
- If it dives, bend the back edges of both wings up a little.
Your model is ready
Hold the body under the wings and launch the glider with a smooth, gentle push.
Step-by-step diagrams
- 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 point down
Fold the whole point straight down along the bottom of the corner folds. The top is now a straight edge.
- 5
Fold the nose back
Fold the top edge down once more, about an inch, over the folded point. This thick band is the square nose.
- 6
Fold in half
Fold the plane in half along the center crease, with the folds you made on the outside.
- 7
Fold the first wing down
Fold the top wing down along a line an inch from the body's fold and parallel to it.
- 8
Fold the second wing behind
Fold the other wing back along the same line, so it matches the first.
- 9
Spread both wings
Spread the broad wings away from the body, keeping the folded square nose together. Leave both tips a little higher than the roots, with the wings matching on each side. Then turn the plane upright, keel below.
- ✓
Finish
Hold the body under the wings and launch the glider with a smooth, gentle push.
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.