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Suzanne Paper Airplane

Make crossed diagonal guides, layered leading edges and broad wings. This Letter-paper version of John Collins’ Suzanne uses a small folded tab instead of tape.

Preparation + 21 numbered steps

Materials

US Letter, portrait · 8.5 × 11 inches

One flexible 8½ × 11-inch Letter sheet. A ruler and pencil can help locate the tab hinge. No cutting, tape or glue. Follow these proportions with Letter, not A4.

Start the interactive guide ↓
Read all illustrated steps ↓Download PDF ↓ · one-page illustrated guide
Suzanne paper airplane with broad raised wings, layered nose and a narrow folded body
John Collins’ wide-wing glider, with a fold-only tab finish

Follow along

Preparation

The interactive guide needs JavaScript. Read every illustrated step below.

Camera only; does not change the fold.
Help · controls & diagram

Play or drag the progress slider to watch a fold from 0% to 100%. Use the view buttons or drag the diagram to look from another angle.

Blue and gold track the original left and right halves of one sheet. Dark shades show reverse faces. Orange outlines identify moving paper and dashed orange lines identify hinges. Existing panel lines are not extra folds to make.

With the diagram focused: Space plays or pauses, ←/→ change steps, and Home resets.

Every step, at a glance

Compare your paper with each diagram after completing the action. Blue and gold track the original left and right halves of one sheet. Dark shades show reverse faces. Orange outlines identify moving paper and dashed orange lines identify hinges. Existing panel lines are not extra folds to make.

  1. 0. Prepare the sheet
  2. 1. Crease the center
  3. 2. Reopen the center
  4. 3. Make the first diagonal guide
  5. 4. Open the first diagonal
  6. 5. Make the crossing diagonal
  7. 6. Open the second diagonal
  8. 7. Bring the right side to its guide
  9. 8. Match the left side
  10. 9. Fold the upper packet down
  11. 10. Fold the left shoulder inward
  12. 11. Fold the right shoulder inward
  13. 12. Raise the exposed tab
  14. 13. Turn to the plain face
  15. 14. Close the body
  16. 15. Fold the first broad wing
  17. 16. Turn for the other wing
  18. 17. Match the second wing
  19. 18. Open the first wing
  20. 19. Open the second wing
  21. 20. Hold the body below the wings
  22. 21. Check your Suzanne
  1. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: gold

    PREPARATION · Suzanne · Letter tab-finish variant

    Prepare the sheet

    Put a short edge at the top. Keep this end at the top of the early diagrams as the future nose.

    Layers: One whole portrait Letter sheet.

    Check: The sheet is 8½ inches wide and 11 inches tall.

    Explore this step ↑
  2. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: gold

    STEP 1 · Suzanne · Letter tab-finish variant

    Crease the center

    Bring the left long edge onto the right and press the lengthwise fold.

    Layers: The complete left half moves.

    Check: Both long edges match.

    Explore this step ↑
  3. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: gold

    STEP 2 · Suzanne · Letter tab-finish variant

    Reopen the center

    Open the sheet fully onto the table.

    Layers: Undo only the center fold.

    Check: The full rectangle is flat.

    Explore this step ↑
  4. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: gold

    STEP 3 · Suzanne · Letter tab-finish variant

    Make the first diagonal guide

    Bring the top edge onto the left long edge. The crease starts at the upper-left corner and reaches the right edge 8½ inches below the top.

    Layers: Move the large upper-right triangle.

    Check: The old upper-right corner touches the left edge.

    Explore this step ↑
  5. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: gold

    STEP 4 · Suzanne · Letter tab-finish variant

    Open the first diagonal

    Unfold that triangle completely.

    Layers: Return the same triangle to the table.

    Check: One diagonal guide remains.

    Explore this step ↑
  6. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: gold

    STEP 5 · Suzanne · Letter tab-finish variant

    Make the crossing diagonal

    Bring the top edge onto the right long edge. Keep the upper-right corner at the end of the crease.

    Layers: Move the large upper-left triangle.

    Check: The two guides cross on the centerline, 4¼ inches below the top.

    Explore this step ↑
  7. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: gold

    STEP 6 · Suzanne · Letter tab-finish variant

    Open the second diagonal

    Unfold completely before making the narrower side folds.

    Layers: Return the upper-left triangle.

    Check: The rectangle is flat with an X across its upper square.

    Explore this step ↑
  8. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: gold

    STEP 7 · Suzanne · Letter tab-finish variant

    Bring the right side to its guide

    Fold the upper part of the right long edge onto the diagonal running from upper left to lower right. Keep their common point on the right edge fixed.

    Layers: Fold the single right-side triangle.

    Check: The long raw edge lies along the diagonal guide.

    Explore this step ↑
  9. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: gold

    STEP 8 · Suzanne · Letter tab-finish variant

    Match the left side

    Fold the upper part of the left long edge onto the other diagonal. Leave the first flap down.

    Layers: Only the left triangle folds; the right flap stays flat.

    Check: Two sloping sides surround a short flat top.

    Explore this step ↑
  10. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: gold

    STEP 9 · Suzanne · Letter tab-finish variant

    Fold the upper packet down

    Find the crossing of the original X, using the back of the sheet if needed. Make a horizontal fold through that crossing and bring the whole upper packet down.

    Layers: Carry all layers above the crossing together.

    Check: A downward trapezoid lies over the backing. Its diagonal guides continue the exposed edges below.

    Explore this step ↑
  11. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: gold

    STEP 10 · Suzanne · Letter tab-finish variant

    Fold the left shoulder inward

    Use the diagonal from the new top midpoint toward the left side as the hinge. Fold the complete upper-left corner inward.

    Layers: Move every layer on the upper-left side of that diagonal.

    Check: The short upper edge turns onto the centerline.

    Explore this step ↑
  12. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: gold

    STEP 11 · Suzanne · Letter tab-finish variant

    Fold the right shoulder inward

    Repeat along the matching diagonal on the right. Keep the left packet closed.

    Layers: Move the whole upper-right packet.

    Check: The two edges meet at the center; a small trapezoid tab remains exposed below them.

    Explore this step ↑
  13. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: gold

    STEP 12 · Suzanne · Letter tab-finish variant

    Raise the exposed tab

    Find where each free side of the downward tab meets a lower edge of the corner flaps. Join these two points with a horizontal crease and fold the tab upward over the flaps. The line is about 0.51 inch below the center junction.

    Layers: Only the exposed tab moves. Keep the broad backing and both corner flaps still.

    Check: The tab covers the bottom of both flaps without shortening the backing sheet.

    Explore this step ↑
  14. TURN THE WHOLE PACKETOriginal left: blue · right: gold

    STEP 13 · Suzanne · Letter tab-finish variant

    Turn to the plain face

    Turn the entire packet over with the nose still at the top.

    Layers: All layers turn together.

    Check: The tab is underneath.

    Explore this step ↑
  15. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: gold

    STEP 14 · Suzanne · Letter tab-finish variant

    Close the body

    Fold on the original center crease, taking the original left half over the right. After the turn, this moving half appears on your right.

    Layers: Move one entire half, including its share of the tab.

    Check: Both outlines match and the tab is outside the body.

    Explore this step ↑
  16. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: gold

    STEP 15 · Suzanne · Letter tab-finish variant

    Fold the first broad wing

    Fold the outside wing away from the other half. Start the hinge at the nose. Lower the wing until its short raw side edge near the rear passes through the rear corner of the centerfold. Do not align the sloping leading edge to the body.

    Layers: Move every layer of the first wing, leaving a wedge of body beside the centerfold.

    Check: The raw rear-side edge touches the rear body corner; the leading edge passes beyond the centerfold.

    Explore this step ↑
  17. TURN THE WHOLE PACKETOriginal left: blue · right: gold

    STEP 16 · Suzanne · Letter tab-finish variant

    Turn for the other wing

    Turn the entire folded plane over to expose the second wing.

    Layers: Keep the first wing folded.

    Check: The uncreased wing faces you.

    Explore this step ↑
  18. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: gold

    STEP 17 · Suzanne · Letter tab-finish variant

    Match the second wing

    Repeat the nose-to-rear alignment on this side, matching the first root crease.

    Layers: Fold only the second complete wing packet.

    Check: Both wing outlines and root creases match.

    Explore this step ↑
  19. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: gold

    STEP 18 · Suzanne · Letter tab-finish variant

    Open the first wing

    Hold the body shut and lift the first wing back a little beyond a right angle from its flat folded position.

    Layers: Open the complete saved wing packet.

    Check: The wing stands away from the body; the nose layers remain together.

    Explore this step ↑
  20. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: gold

    STEP 19 · Suzanne · Letter tab-finish variant

    Open the second wing

    Open the other wing by the same amount on the opposite side.

    Layers: Keep the centerfold closed.

    Check: Both wings extend to opposite sides of the body.

    Explore this step ↑
  21. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: gold

    STEP 20 · Suzanne · Letter tab-finish variant

    Hold the body below the wings

    Rotate the entire plane so the narrow body hangs beneath the wings. This is handling, not a new crease.

    Layers: Move the whole connected sheet.

    Check: The wings rise gently toward their outer edges.

    Explore this step ↑
  22. END STATEOriginal left: blue · right: gold

    STEP 21 · Suzanne · Letter tab-finish variant

    Check your Suzanne

    Compare the two wings from the front and check the small tab underneath. Keep both wing roots matched and the center body closed. This completes the uncurled, fold-only Letter version.

    Layers: One sheet makes both wings, the layered nose, body and tab.

    Check: The fold sequence is complete; flight and tab retention are untested.

    Explore this step ↑
Sources & notes

John Collins (Suzanne designer); LA County Library (Letter tab-finish reference), Paper Airplanes: Learning to Fly (2020).

Letter tab-finish sequence, pages 4–6 ↗ · Collins on Suzanne’s folds and wing alignment ↗ · Letter construction photographs, without the tab finish ↗

Suzanne is credited to John Collins, not described as traditional or public domain. A design-reuse license has not been established. The reference text, photographs and diagrams have separate rights. These English instructions, geometric diagrams and code are independently authored with AI assistance; no reference artwork, template or wording is reproduced.

Adaptation: This is the library’s Letter-paper, edge-to-crease, raised-tab variant. Collins’ record-setting construction used different paper and tape; this is not an exact replica or a flight-distance claim. We add an early center precrease and separate paired actions and handling turns. The tab hinge joins the two intersections of its free sides with the lower corner-packet edges (about 0.51 inch below their center junction); this makes the library’s unmeasured hinge explicit. The wing roots pass through the nose and place the raw side edge on the rear center corner, rather than placing the sloping leading edge on the centerfold. Opening each folded wing by 100° is an authored display setting for raised wings. The source’s later optional flight-tuning curl is not part of this uncurled construction.

Original instructions and diagrams, made with AI assistance. About & reuse

Accuracy notes

Real-paper follow-along and paper weight have not been tested. Diagrams illustrate the sequence, not paper thickness, contact, collisions or exact layer visibility.