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Introduction

This kit is a follow-up to my Next Generation Paper Airplanes Kit. One plane from that kit, “The Gremlin,” gave me the idea to create an entire collection of models, in the form of flying creatures. It was hard enough to come up with original models that actually flew well. This kit’s dragon theme added another hurdle, and an awfully high one, at that. Would it prove to be a fool’s errand? I’d find out soon enough.

Luckily, I had help. After carefully considering it for a few seconds, my good friend, and occasional collaborator, Paul Frasco agreed to co-author this book. He is an origami expert, who had designed numerous fantasy creature models.

I see origami as a language. It can be used to describe anything. But it requires skill and imagination to articulate. Origami can be poetry—and what is more poetic than flight?

A satisfying model involves not only precision and logic, but an element of magic. At some point, the paper completely transforms, like an egg hatching, a flower blooming or a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. Even if you are familiar enough with origami to recognize the mechanics of the transformation, there is something very enjoyable about watching the story unfold. Or in this case, literally, the reverse.

The story of this book begins with Paul folding beautiful dragons with well-articulated legs, wings, claws, horns, tails and eyelids. The problem was that they were difficult to fold, and too dense to fly well. Conversely, my earliest attempts flew better, and were easier to fold, but hardly resembled dragons.

Working with paper is a struggle. After working with it for so many years, I am still surprised by what it will agree to do, and what it won’t. Convincing it to take a form is at once enjoyable, challenging and frustrating. It can be a bit like teaching a bright, but stubborn child.

I believe our efforts on the book paid off nicely. We managed to invent a wide variety of flying dragons. Each with a unique form, flying style and personality. This book begins with simpler, easier to fold models, and incrementally advances to the more sophisticated ones. As they get more complicated, they become smaller and more compact, like today’s modern lizard, the basis of so many fantasy creatures.

A lot of hard work went into developing these models. We had a lot of fun, too. We hope that folding these dragons is as much of an adventure for you as it has been for us.

—Sam Ita