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The current Guinness World Records farthest paper-airplane flight is 98.43 m (322 ft 11 in), flown by Liu Liwen with Tang Shuai, Yang Shian, Huang Yizhou, Qiao Yuchen and Wang Chenghao in Shanghai on 28 December 2025. The folding pattern used for that aircraft has not been published in full. The best-documented precision distance design is Suzanne, created by John M. Collins and thrown 69.14 m (226 ft 10 in) by Joe Ayoob in 2012. Follow the steps below to fold Suzanne accurately and practise the paper, symmetry and launch control that distance flights demand.
What “world’s farthest-flying” means now
Suzanne is the famous Collins design, but it is not the current record-holder. Guinness lists these official farthest-flight marks:
| Distance | Thrower(s) | Date and location |
|---|---|---|
| 69.14 m (226 ft 10 in) | Joe Ayoob, with John M. Collins’s Suzanne design | 2012 |
| 77.134 m (252 ft 7 in) | Kim Kyu Tae | April 2022 |
| 88.31 m (289 ft 9 in) | Dillon Ruble, with Nathaniel Erickson and Garrett Jensen | December 2022 |
| 98.43 m (322 ft 11 in) | Liu Liwen, Tang Shuai, Yang Shian, Huang Yizhou, Qiao Yuchen and Wang Chenghao | 28 December 2025, Shanghai, China |
The Guinness category requires an indoor, closed environment and one A4 sheet weighing under 100 gsm. The thrower may walk or run up to 10 ft (3.04 m), but must release the plane from behind the line while standing still at launch.
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That distinction matters: Suzanne is a reproducible, published pattern for learning long-distance design, not a claim that the 2012 aircraft remains the world-record model.
Materials and paper preparation
- Use one clean, uncreased sheet. For the precise Suzanne template, begin with 8.5 × 11 in paper in landscape orientation and trim 19 mm from the sheet’s width.
- Practise with good-quality 80–100 gsm paper. Guinness’s 2022 report identifies Conqueror CX22 100GSM as the record team’s stiff, high-quality paper and quotes Double A 80GSM as a general-use recommendation. These examples are guidance, not a guarantee of record performance.
- Use a firm table edge, ruler, or thumbnail to sharpen every crease.
How to fold Suzanne
- Trim the template. If you are using the precise Suzanne dimensions, remove 19 mm from the width before making any folds.
- Make the diagonal reference creases. With the sheet in landscape orientation, fold the top-right corner down so the top edge aligns with the left edge. Unfold. Repeat with the top-left corner and unfold, leaving an X.
- Add the side reference creases. Fold the right edge down to the diagonal crease and unfold. Repeat on the left side.
- Set the nose line. Fold the two side flaps down together. Note where their edges intersect, then fold the top down at that point so its edge is parallel with the bottom edge.
- Form the nose. Fold the top-left and top-right corners down until they meet in the middle.
- Turn and close the body. Turn the sheet over and rotate it so the nose points sideways. Fold the bottom edge up to align with the top edge.
- Fold the first wing. Starting about 1/4 inch from the nose, fold one wing down, aligning its diagonal edge with the bottom corner.
- Match the second wing. Flip the plane and repeat the wing fold on the other side. Compare both wings from the nose and tail; their angles and trailing edges should match.
- Open and test. Spread the wings, check that the nose is straight, and make only small adjustments between throws.
Why precision changes the flight
Guinness describes folding and throwing as a “very precise art”: distance depends heavily on how accurately the aircraft is made. The practical variables are the ones you can control:
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Creases
Sharp, continuous creases keep the fuselage and wing angles fixed. A rounded or interrupted crease lets one side flex differently from the other.
Symmetry
View the plane head-on and from the rear. Unequal wing sweep, a twisted fuselage, or a nose that points off the centerline turns launch energy into yaw and drag.
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Paper stiffness and weight
Heavier or stiffer paper can hold a clean geometry, while lighter paper may be easier to throw but more sensitive to dents and flutter. Stay below 100 gsm if you are practising the Guinness category’s equipment rules.
Balance
Chee Yie Jian identifies paper type, weight, geometry and balance as the main design variables. Change one variable at a time so you can tell whether a flight improved because of the fold, the paper or the throw.
Launch and tuning routine
- Choose an indoor space with a clear flight path and a measurable landing point.
- Use the same release line and the same run-up length for a set of test throws.
- Hold the fuselage firmly without crushing the nose. Keep the wings level at release.
- Throw smoothly and consistently rather than changing power on every attempt.
- After each flight, adjust one feature only: a wing-tip sweep, a slight alignment error, or the launch angle.
- Record the paper type, approximate throw strength and result. A repeatable medium-length flight is more useful than one unexplained outlier.
Common flight problems
| Symptom | Likely cause | First correction |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate dive | Nose or wing angle is too steep downward; nose may be crushed | Recheck the nose centerline and raise the wing angle slightly |
| Sharp climb followed by stall | Launch angle or upward trim is excessive | Launch flatter and reduce the upward bend in the wings |
| Turns left or right | Wing asymmetry or a twisted body | Compare both wings head-on and restore symmetry |
| Wobbles or rolls | Loose creases, unequal stiffness, or damaged paper | Refold with sharper creases and replace creased paper |
| Short, fast drop | Release is too hard for the trim or the paper is too flexible | Use a smoother throw and test a stiffer sheet within the weight limit |
A fuller Suzanne reference
John M. Collins’s The New World Champion Paper Airplane Book is a 160-page paperback (ISBN 9781607743880) containing Suzanne instructions, 22 designs, step-by-step photographs, tear-out models, flight theory and throw-adjustment advice. It is useful when you want the diagrams and explanations alongside the concise folding sequence above.
What to expect from practice
The 98.43 m record was set under controlled Guinness conditions by a team whose complete fold pattern and material specification have not been published. You can therefore reproduce Suzanne and apply the same measurable principles—clean geometry, balanced wings, suitable paper and a consistent launch—without claiming that a practice model is the current record aircraft.
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