How to Make the Vampire Paper Airplane

Fast and long-range, the Vampire is a sleek dart paper airplane with pointy canards that look like Dracula's teeth and function as landing gear.

The Vampire was designed in late 2019, performing well in flight testing as one of several derivatives of the popular NeoVulcan. Origami aviators familiar with the NeoVulcan will find this airplane easy to try.

TAA USAF Designation: F535-1

Required:

1 Piece of 8.5 by 11 inch paper

Tape

Optional:

Pencil

Scissors

Ruler

Fold the paper in half along its length. (Photographs 1 to 2)

Once this is done, pull both of the lengthwise edges of the paper into the center crease you just made. (Photographs 3 to 4)

Once you have made these on both sides, refold the center crease to make all creases the same direction. (Photographs 5 to 7)

With the creases of the paper all folded in toward one another, pull the corners of paper down as shown. (Photographs 8 to 9)

Fold the outer edges of the paper into the creases as shown on each side. (Photographs 1 to 3)

Once this is done, fold back the corners of this folded bit leading edge. (Photographs 4 to 5)

Unfold the paper and then reverse the corner folds you've made; after the reversal, pull the new crease itself into the creases you made at the beginning of this step. Once this is done, fold along the initial creases on both sides. Once this is done, the paper should appear as it does in the last photograph.

To make the canards, pull the overhanging paper back away from the center crease as shown. Repeat on the other side. (Photographs 1 to 4)

Pull the tip of the nose back until its tips meet the apex of the diamond and crease. (Photographs 5 to 7)

Once this is done, pull the tip forward again until the forward edge underneath is just visible. After this is done, tuck the edges of the paper underneath the other layers as shown.

Pull the (now) blunt edge of the nose down to the trailing edge as shown. (Photographs 9 to 10)

Proceed to then pull the nose back forward until the airfoils' leading edges sit above their own trailing edges and crease. (Photograph 11)

Once you've made the crease, unfold the paper before folding the corners of the paper in to this new crease. (Photographs 12 to 13)

With this done, pull the nose forward again. (Photograph 14)

Fold the forward leading edge down on each side to the center crease. (Photographs 1 to 3)

Unfold the wings and measure 0.875 inches from the wingtip along the trailing edge and make a mark. Fold between the leading edge and mark as shown. Flip the paper over and match the fold. (Photographs 4 to 7)

Fold the rear fuselage up between the layered portion and the wing crease created earlier this step to create the vertical tail fin. (Photographs 8 to 9)

Reversing the previous creases in the fuselage, pull the tail fin into position. (Photographs 10 to 11)

Fold the canards down as shown by folding between the limit at the leading edge and canard trailing edge while keeping the crease line parallel with the wing fold crease on each side as shown. (Photographs 1 to 4)

Unfold the airplane and lay it out as shown. (Photograph 5)

Apply tape where designated in the photos, in the order designated. (Photographs 6 to 8)

The airplane is completed once taped. (Photograph 9)

The Vampire flies similar to most other dart paper airplanes, particularly the Vulcan series from which it was derived.

Launches should be made at moderate to high speeds at neutral or positive attitude. Additional applicable surfaces include flaps, elevators, ailerons, rudders and air brakes (via a split rudder).

The Vampire's canards and ventral winglets keep the plane stable in the air and serve as skids on the ground, allowing the airplane to stay in good shape over many flights.

Enjoy!