Few things capture the playful spirit of origami quite like a paper airplane you can actually fly. The spear plane — sometimes called a yari plane — is a classic little dart that has been folded by curious hands for generations. The first time you see one, you notice its pointed nose and tidy, swept-back wings; it looks built for speed, and it mostly is.

What makes it worth learning isn't the spectacle but the fundamentals. In just a handful of folds you practice the same moves that show up in countless other models — and you end up with something that genuinely glides across the room. Grab a sheet of paper and let's fold one together.

Step 1

Take a rectangular sheet of paper (or cut a square sheet into a rectangle). Fold it in half along the dotted line.

Step 2

Fold the corner along the dotted line so it lines up with the crease.

Step 3

Fold the other corner along the dotted line so it meets the crease.

Step 4

Fold along the dotted line.

Step 5

Turn the paper over.

Step 6

Fold it in half along the dotted line.

Step 7

Fold along the dotted line so the top and bottom edges meet.

Step 8

Fold the back side in the same way.

Step 9

Open out the wings, and your spear plane is complete.