How to Make the Harrier Paper Airplane

Fast, long range and simple, the Harrier is a great paper airplane that can also fly slow and almost hover. With its ancestry of the rugged, sturdy Owl and the quick Panther, the Harrier is a plane with proven traits incorporated into it. It is a highly accurate plane, making it a very good classroom interceptor, and a suitable trainer too.

TAA USAF Designation: A106-1

Required:
1 Piece of 8.5 by 11 Paper
Tape
Scissors
Ruler

Optional:
Pencil

Fold your paper along its length. Then fold its corners down to the center as shown. Once this is done, flip the paper over to the "clean" side, and pull the nose back to the point at which the corner folds end on the other side.

Flip back to the "dirty" side, and pull the corners down to the center as shown. Then flip to the "clean" side, and pull what will be the nose open as shown.

Fold the airplane up in half along its center. Then fold the paper down with the trailing edges of the wings meeting with those of the fuselage. The leading edges of the wing should fit flush with a fold in the fuselage too, but if they do not, maintain the accuracy of the trailing edges.

Find the middle of the edges of the wing (about 2.25 inches in from the trailing edge). From there, measure 5/8 of an inch straight inwards. Then cut along this line. Proceed to fold the wingtips up, parallel to the fuselage--with the front two folded up, above the wing and the rear two folded down under the wing.

Tape your Harrier at its front, across its front, rear and over its wing root--near the back. Then tape the flaps below the leading edges together.  

Whether you throw the Harrier fast or slow, stability is not something to be worried about. Speedy, long range flights can be made by a fast throw, while slower flights are capable with a slower throw. Enjoy!