Long Distance Paper Airplane Designs
Discover which paper airplane flies the farthest. Learn the tricks for long distance flight.
Have you ever wondered which paper airplane flies the farthest? Of course you have - it's one of the most common questions that people ask. Throwing an airplane so it soars all the way across a field is very satisfying. This page will explain how you can optimize a paper airplane for long distance flight and then it will show you the 6 best designs.
Physics of Paper Airplanes
People generally classify paper airplanes into three categories: Distance, Duration and Acrobatics. We are going to ignore acrobatics for now and focus on distance and duration. Distance airplanes are typically narrow arrow-shaped darts that are going for speed. Duration airplanes generally have wide wings that float slowly through the air, usually in wide circles. If you can get a duration style airplane to fly straight, it can often work well for distance too.
Fast Flight, Short Duration
This most common technique for making a long distance paper airplane is to make it long and thin. When you look down the nose of an airplane from front to back, what you see is called the "cross section". A thin airplane will have a small cross section. This is good because it means the airplane will have less drag. Drag is the force that is caused by the wind hitting the airplane as it is flying through the air. This air friction slows the airplane down, preventing it from reaching its full potential. So, having a small cross section will minimize drag and allow the airplane to fly further.
These narrow darts have small wings, so they don't generate a lot of lift. And because they have minimal drag, they will fly on what's called a "ballistic trajectory" meaning that the only significant force acting on the airplane is gravity. Using lightweight paper helps reduce the downward force due to gravity, but the paper must still have enough stiffness to maintain its shape during the high-force launch.
For these types of airplanes, the harder you throw it, the further it will go. Nothing else really matters. Throw these skinny dart-like airplanes fast and watch them fly in a long arc, much like a ball.
Slow Flight, Long Duration
Another good technique is to design a paper airplane to have wider wings that generate lift. This lifting force will counteract gravity and allow the airplane to stay up longer. These designs will have a larger cross sectional area, so they will have more drag and will tend to slow down during the flight. In addition, the wider wings will not have enough structure or stiffness to survive a high-force launch so you will not be able to throw them as fast.
The result is that these types of airplanes fly slower but stay up longer, when compared to their skinny dart siblings. Throw these as hard as you can without causing the wings to deform and watch these glide across the room in a gentle downward slope.
Trimming the Paper Airplane
Any paper airplane that you create will require some adjustments. It's very rare for a plane to fly perfectly the first time you throw it. You will need to observe the flight and make small bends to the wings to get it to fly straight and level. This is called "trimming". You can read our detailed explanation on how to trim your paper airplane, but here are the three key points:
- If the airplane curves left, bend the trailing edge of the right wing up a little bit. If it curves right, bend the left side up. Keep adjusting until it flies straight.
- If the airplane dives downward, bend the back edges of both wings up a little bit.
- If the airplane climbs steeply upwards and then stalls, add a paperclip to the front to move the center of mass forwards, or bend the wings down a bit.
Top 6 Farthest Flying Paper Airplane Designs
The Basic Dart is a classic beginner's airplane that flies great! It has a long narrow body that minimizes drag with a small cross sectional area. Use light weight printer paper and throw this as hard as you can at a 45 degree upwards angle. Adding some nose weight with a paperclip can help.
The Bird is a glider type design that flies more slowly, but stays up for a long time. Take care to fold it symmetrically and put a little tape down the middle to keep it from falling open during flight. Throw this as hard as you can without causing the wings to flutter during launch.
The Stealth Glider is similar to the Bird, but it has slightly more wing area and less drag. This design is fairly easy to fold, but tricky to adjust for long flights because it is a little unstable. Be patient and make tiny wing adjustments to get this design to glide straight through the air.
The fastest paper airplane in our collection is the Sonic Jet. This has some tricky folds, but the sleek design helps this paper plane cut through the air and the dart-like shape means it has minimal drag which really helps it go the distance. Use some tape to keep the wings together and throw it as hard as you can at a slightly upwards angle.
The Lock-Bottom is another glider style of paper airplane that flies far. Adjust the back edges of the wings to get it to fly straight and you'll have a very reliable airplane that can go far. Hold it towards the center and throw at a slight upwards angle.
The Wilson is a very sleek design with a tight and narrow nose with flared wing in the back. It can fly very fast. It is a little unstable, so you'll need to carefully adjust the wings to prevent it from spiraling. Once you get it trimmed for level flight this will fly very far in a long arc through the air.
Throwing Technique
To optimize your throw for distance, there are a few things to consider:
Launch Angle
For thin dart-like airplanes try throwing them at a 45° upward angle. For gliders with wider wings, aim for a steeper angle to get more altitude. You will need to experiment to find the optimal angle for your paper airplane. Take a video of yourself throwing the airplane so you can see the actual trajectory. Take notes and compare multiple throws to arrive at the best launch angle.
Force
Throw as hard as you can without causing the paper to deform in the wind. If you are outdoors, put the wind at your back to get a little boost. To get the most force you can try getting a running start. Use your full body and full arm to get the widest range of motion. You can even jump at the end to release the airplane at a slightly higher point, which may help. Always start throwing a new airplane at slow speeds and then work up to harder throws if it seems like the structure of the airplane can support it.
Release
A common mistake is for your hand to travel in an arcing motion. This often happens if you are holding the airplane with a bent elbow and pivoting your arm at your shoulder. With an arcing motion, your timing must be perfect. If you let go a split second too early or too late, the airplane will be launched at the wrong angle. A better technique is to push the airplane in a straight forward motion from your shoulder outward. This way, if you release the airplane too early it will still be going in the intended direction. Try to release at the very end of your throw to get the maximum distance, but make sure you let go before your arm reaches the end of its travel.
Paper Airplane Catapults
If you want to add a little extra power to your launch you can try using a rubber band to make a paper airplane launcher. With a strong rubber band and a solid launch, a catapulted airplane will go further than a hand tossed one.
Generally, the longer the rubber band you have, the better the launch will be. This is because more rubber can store more energy and it will release that energy over a greater distance so the forces exerted on the paper airplane will be less extreme. If your rubber band is too strong, it may rip the airplane as it zooms off the launcher. You can link multiple rubber bands together to make a single longer one. You'll also need to add a small hook to the paper airplane to connect the rubber band.
Distance Records
the current record holder
In the last 40 years there have been several different world record designs. Some of them have been thin dart-like designs and others have been more of a wide-winged glider design. There doesn't seem to be a consistent style. The most recent record was achieved in 2022 with a small dart like airplane. It flew for 88 meters which is almost the length of a football field.
The prior world record was held by a glider type of airplane that flew for 77 meters. Maybe darts fly further, or maybe someone can design a better glider that will someday retake the world record.
Conclusion
Now you should know what it takes to make a good paper airplane that will fly far. We have given you six of our favorite and best performing designs. Can you make something that flies further? Please let us know if you can.
Once you have practiced, why not hold a paper airplane contest. Having a friendly contest is a great way to have fun with paper airplanes and challenge your friends to a fun competition. And now that you have read this entire article, you'll have an advantage! Happy Flying
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