Make great folds Great planes start with great folding. Take your time and put the paper exactly where it needs to be. Perfect folding will save a bad throw, but no throw in the world will save sloppy folding. Make folds to exactly the line or point they are supposed to go, and make the crease sharp and clean by running your fingernail along it to get it flat. Squash down any paper bubbles you get with the side of a pencil. Remember, sloppy folds won't fly!

Check symmetry Every plane should be the same on both sides. The left wing is always a mirror image of the right wing. If you fold your plane so that one side is even the tiniest bit different from the other side, your plane won't fly straight. In fact it may not fly at all. The golden rule is this: If you make a mistake, make exactly the same mistake on the other side.

Throw it easy Make your first throws light and breezy. No matter how good your folding is, we guarantee that your plane's maiden flight will also be its maiden crash. Once you get it flying ok, then you can open up and launch it with a bit more energy.

Toss, check, and tweak If you make your plane, and it doesn't fly perfectly right off (and it won't!), you'll leed to tweak the wings. After every throw, check 1. symmetry 2. the dihedral (that means the wing angle) 3. elevators and ailerons Stare at your plane, right down the middle. Make sure it looks the same on both sides, and that the wings are angled upwards.

If all else fails, fold another Some planes look perfect, but no matter how much you fuss, they just won't fly. Best advice? Grab another sheet of paper and make a new one.

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