Paper aeroplane, paper plane, paper airplane; those are all different names referring to a paper airplane model. These nifty toys were all made out of paper in a practice known as aerogami. Paper planes were the very inspiration of today’s modern flying airplanes. There are currently many versions of these simple flying paper planes ranging from the very simple to a very complex one to make.

It is impossible to pinpoint a single year where paper airplanes were said to be created. It is also confusing to tell which country first created paper airplanes. These flying toys were created around 500 BCE (Before Common Era) and were made really popular around 460-390 BCE. Many historians believe that the craft and phenomenon of making paper airplanes started in Ancient China because of its massive production of papers. However, there were also proofs that paper airplane making took equal measure in Japan because origami (the art of paper folding) became popular at almost the same period as the paper manufacturing in Ancient China.

The gigantic airplanes of today took its inspiration from simple paper airplanes. Because of the popularity of paper airplanes, it became the dominant manmade object heavier than air for a thousand years. It was so popular that the greatest minds during those times, like Da Vinci, explored the characteristics of paper airplanes and conjured a building model of a real life plane. The most important application of paper planes was made by the Wright Brothers between the years 1899 and 1903. They built many paper plane models and tested them in their wind tunnel. Through this, the Wright Brothers discovered the technique on flying real airplanes. And thus, they became the first to fly a real life airplane.

Aeroplane Monthly Magazine provides a fascinating monthly insight into our heritage of powered flight. Each issue contains features on aviation history, preservation, nostalgia and personal recollections from pilots and ground crew. Appeals to enthusiasts of all ages.