Squid plane

A traditional Japanese paper plane. Layers gathered in the nose put the centre of gravity forward, so it glides smoothly and steadily.

Why this level: One step pulls hidden corners out from behind, and the many layers must match on both sides.

You need: 1 sheet of A4 paper (thin and crisp)

Preview Preview: checked on screen; real-paper verification is in progress.

Steps at a glance

1. Fold in half and unfold
Lay the paper sideways, coloured side up. Fold the bottom edge to the top edge and unfold to make a middle line.
2. Fold the left corners to the middle
Fold the two left corners in so the left edge lies on the middle line.
3. Turn over
Turn the paper over top to bottom. The point stays on the left.
4. Fold the slanted edges to the middle
From the left point, fold the upper and lower slanted edges to the middle line. The hidden triangles underneath fold along with them.
5. Pull the corners out from behind
Pull the tips of the hidden triangles out from behind, one up and one down, and flatten them. The front becomes a white diamond.
6. Fold the nose back
Fold the left point of the diamond over to the right so it meets the point where the coloured triangles meet. The crease joins the diamond’s top and bottom corners.
7. Fold in half
Fold the lower half behind along the middle line.
8. Fold the wings down
Fold the front wing down along a line that starts at the bottom of the nose and rises to about 4 cm above the bottom edge at the tail. Fold the back wing behind along the same line.
9. Open the wings
Open both wings almost square to the body, with a very shallow upward V. Small triangles stick out at the front like a squid’s fins.
10. Bend up the elevators
Bend the outer back edge of each wing up just a little. Make both sides the same and it is ready to fly!