from an A4 sheet
A4 paper is handy to paper plane enthusiasts in Europe and Asia. Though some of the models in this book can be easily adapted to the A4 sheet, most of the US letter models will look better and fly best if folded from rectangles with those proportions. It is an easy task to trim the A4 sheet to the correct proportions: simply cut a 1-inch (2½-centimeter) strip from a short edge of the sheet. Incidentally, these slightly smaller models fly extremely well!
It’s a simple matter to scale any rectangle up or down: just draw a diagonal line between two corners and intersect at any point.
The technical specifications of US letter paper.
You can quickly adapt any square to approximate US letter proportions using the steps shown here.
You can quickly convert any A4 size sheet to US letter size using the steps shown here.
CHAPTER 2
Masterful Folding Techniques
Crisp, precise and neatly folded paper airplanes look best and fly best. Making sharp creases without bruising the paper also takes a degree of skill, which comes with practice. It is also true that freshly folded planes fly best. Here are some tips that will help you fold neatly.
Creasing Carefully
Assuming that the corners are square, neat folding begins with properly aligning the parts of the paper before committing the fold with a crease.
Secure the alignment by first pressing at the middle of the fold, and then slide from the center to the right, (if using your right hand), or to the left (if using your left hand). Return to the center and create the other half of the crease. This simple technique decreases the amount of creep (or deviation) away from the fold line.
Whether you use a folding tool or just your fingers, first coax the paper gently to decrease the radius of the bend uniformly along the crease line, adjusting the placement several times before committing the decision with a fold, then sharpen the crease.
Once paper planes have had a chance to sit for a while, the folds will begin to relax. Dramatic changes in temperature and humidity make this happen rapidly. Always re-sharpen your creases before flying a plane that has been sitting for a while.
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