There are two kinds of paper airplane: the ones you throw across the room, and the ones you put on a shelf. This is firmly the second kind. The F-117 Nighthawk - that angular black wedge that always looked more like an origami experiment than a machine - is one of the rare subjects where paper arguably improves on the real thing, because hard facets and sharp chines are exactly what a folded sheet does naturally.

What follows is a 17-step sequence that starts from a plain square and ends with a jet that sits level and reads correctly from every angle. Nothing here needs glue or scissors, but do pick a sheet with a bit of crispness to it; the nose is built from several narrow layers and soft paper will round the point off. Take the first three steps slowly - getting the early bisections accurate is what makes the wings line up later on.

STEP 1.

STEP 2.

STEP 3.

STEP 4.

STEP 5.

STEP 6.

STEP 7.

STEP 8.

STEP 9.

STEP 10.

STEP 11.

STEP 12.

STEP 13.

STEP 14.

STEP 15.

STEP 16.