How to Make the Jaguar Paper Airplane (2024)

Fast, long range and versatile, the Jaguar is a dart paper airplane with large wings to enable long glides at high speed. The Jaguar is designed to be highly simplistic and can be constructed with a single sheet of paper--no tape or measurements are required. Integral landing skids and a blunt nose ensure that the airplane can fly many, many times.

The Jaguar was developed as a follow on to the similar Dracula, in the hopes of creating a faster aircraft that was similarly simple. When I finished the design of the aircraft, it proved simple and capable. These traits noted and in line with what I had hoped, the Jaguar was readied for publication shortly thereafter.

TAA USAF Designation: F426-1

Required:
1 Piece of 8.5 by 11 inch paper

Tape

Pencil

Ruler

Optional:

Scissors (additional surfaces only)

Pull the edges of the lengths of the paper into the diagonal creases of the previous step on each side. After doing this, fold along those same diagonal creases to tuck these new folds underneath. Your paper should then appear as it does in the fifth photograph.

After completing work with the airfoils, turn you focus to the nose. Pull the tip of the nose backward until the apexes of the diamond are reached, then crease. With this done, pull the tips of this fold inward while aligning their leading edges with that of the nose as shown in the eighth photograph.

After making the triangular folds, open them and then proceed to squash them down as shown in the ninth and tenth photographs. Pull the rear edges forward on each side and then reverse the folds and tuck them into the paper. Once you have done this, tuck the inboard half of the folds under the inner folds of the nose as shown in the thirteenth photograph.

Pull the nose forward until you reach the trailing edge of the nose folds.

With the paper folded in half, pull the tip of the nose back over itself as shown in the first and second photographs. After opening the paper, ensure that the creases will allow for this folded portion to fit inside of the paper when folded in half. Pull the tip of the nose back as shown in the fifth photograph. Once you have done this, fold the paper up along its center again.

With the paper folded along its center, pull the tips of the nose backward until they are perpendicular to the center crease on each side as shown. This will complete the plane's locking security fold. Once you have done this, pull the loose, forward edge of hanging paper to the top of the lock fold on each side. After creasing the paper into position, reverse the fold to tuck the paper into position. Repeat on the other side.

Using the top of the security fold as a guide, align the trailing edge of the wing with the trailing edge of the fuselage to fold the wings into position. After you have done this, pull the wingtips inward while keeping the wings' trailing edges aligned with themselves and repeat this on both sides. Your airplane should appear as it does in the fourth and fifth photographs when this is done.

After pulling the wingtips inward, you must now pull them outward to the crease made by the last fold. Repeat on the other side. After making this crease, pull the outer wing back toward the folded edge of the wing as shown in eighth and ninth photographs. The crease you have just made should now sit over the trailing edge of the airfoil while the tip of the wing should sit over the folded edge of the paper. Repeat on the other side.

Fold down the two landing skids along their existent fold lines (they should easily fold down, parallel with the fuselage). The aircraft is now flyable--but I do recommend taping it if you are able to do so. If you do elect to tape your Jaguar, apply tape where designated in the photographs.

The Jaguar is a dart with a large wing; as a result, it will fly quickly but can glide a fair ways. Its handling characteristics are quite docile and so even very new origami aviators should have little issue making and flying it.

Launches should be conducted by throwing the Jaguar at moderate to high speed at neutral or positive attitude. Test flights should be conducted to determine what trimming (if any) needs to be done to get the airplane to fly as you want it to. Additional applicable surfaces include flaps, elevators, rudders and air brakes. Enjoy!