How To Make The Leopard Paper Airplane

Fast, long range and interesting looking--the Leopard is a paper airplane with all the features one needs for an aerial cruise afar.

TAA USAF Designation: A77-1

Step 1: Materials

Required:
1 Piece of 8.5 by 11 inch paper
Tape
Scissors
Optional:
Pencil

Step 2: Length And Corner Folding

First, fold your paper in half along its length. Then pull the corners of the paper in.

Step 3: Pull The Nose Down And Begin To Cut

Pull the paper down along the bottom of the corner folds. Then fold the paper up with the "dirty" side outside. Cut a 1 by 1 inch square out of the front (the side of the paper where you folded the nose down) and out from the center of the paper.

Step 4: Corner And Security Folding

Now that the initial cutting is over, pull the corners in again. Then pull the small triangle up through the 2 by 1 inch hole and crease it down to make the security fold.

Step 5: Fold The Wings And Cut The Vertical Fins

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Fold your Leopard's wings down from 3/4 of an inch above the bottom of the fuselage. Whilst the wings are both folded down, make a cut that reaches in 0.75 inches into the wing at a thirty degree angle towards the front of the aircraft. Then raise one of the wings and make a 3/4 of an inch cut into the fuselage at a thirty degree angle towards the nose of the airplane.

Step 6: Fold The Fins

Now that the fins have been cut, fold them. Fold the fin in the fuselage up through itself so that it sits above the wing root. Then fold the outer fins up parallel to the fuselage above the wing, then fold both down below the wing.

Step 7: Taping

Taping the Leopard is very easy. Tape the fuselage together at its front, and at its rear below the fuselage fin.

Step 8: Flight

Flying the Leopard is very easy. To fly the Leopard, throw the airplane fairly fast at launch. In flight, the three fins provide addition stability. Upon landing the two ventral fins and security fold become skids. Enjoy!