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Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate 

Make Your Own X-59

Suggested Grades: 3-8

Activity Overview

In this activity, you will make a paper airplane 

version of the X-59. 

Time: 20 minutes

Materials

• Airplane Template (or 81⁄2”x11” piece of paper) 

• Scissors 

• Tape

1. Gather all of you supplies as show and listed 

above. When you print the template, which is the 

last page of this document, make sure that you 

select “Fit to Paper” in the print dialog box.

2. When you are using the template, you will be 

folding along the dashed lines and cutting 

along the solid lines. Each fold line will be on 

the outside of the fold. In other words, after 

folding, you should still be able to see the line. 

After making a fold, run your fingernail along the 

fold to make it a firm fold.

3. Fold the paper in half lengthwise as shown in 

Figure 2. This is done by folding along line 1. Unfold 

the paper. 4. Fold the two corners into the middle along lines 

2 and 2a.

5. Fold the two edges into the center along lines 3 

and 3a.

6. Fold the paper in half lengthwise along line 1. 

Your plane should look like this figure after this 

fold.

7. Fold the wings down along lines 4 and 4a.

8.Use your scissors to cut along lines 5 and 5a. 

Unfold the plane along line 1.
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9. Fold in the edges of each wing, folding along lines 

6 and 6a. Once you have fold both wings, your plane 

should look like this figure.

10. Fold the plane in half again along line 1. Then, 

fold down the wings.

11. Turn the plane over and cut along lines 7 and 7a.

12. After cutting along lines 7 and 7a, turn the 

airplane so it is facing up once more. you have 

two pieces of the tail section. Fold the top of each 

section down into the bottom, center of the plane.

13. Cut off the back 1⁄4”- 1⁄2” of the tail section by 

cutting along line 8.

14. Place one piece of tape over the top of the tail 

section and one piece on the top of the plane.

Put one small piece of tape over the top of the tail 

section to hold the two pieces together. Put 

another small piece of tape on the top of the 

plane.

15. Place one piece of tape over the top of the tail 

section and one piece on the top of the plane.

Your completed plane should look like the one

shown.
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Background Information

X-59 (QueSST) One of NASA’s newest 

experimental aircraft, the X-59 (QueSST) is 

designed to lower the noise created by planes 

flying faster than the speed of sound. When 

planes fly supersonic (faster than the speed of 

sound), the pressure waves they create combine 

together and produce a very loud noise called a 

sonic boom. This noise is so loud that it can 

damage property and disturb animals. 

A unique feature of the X-59 is the placement of two canards in front of the wings. 

These look like small wings, but they aren’t designed to create lift for the plane. Instead, 

they help change the movement of the pressure waves so they don’t combine and form 

the loud sonic boom. Instead, the plane creates a series of sonic “thumps” which are 

much quieter than booms. The effects of these thumps will be tested in locations around 

the United States to see if this lower noise level is more acceptable.
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