The Origami Forum

Hi

I read years ago that Kamiya had created a crane (or maybe a flapping bird) that actually glides (or maybe even flies) when you let it go in the air but I've never seen such model so I'm wondering if it is just an urban legend.

If it exists it would be awesome because I think that something everybody who's folded a crane (or flapping bird) has done, is letting it go expecting it to fly just to see it go straight to the floor.

I don't know about one by Kamiya, but Jun Maekawa has one in Genuine Origami.

Thanks Tankoda, my memory might have betrayed me with the author's name.

I just checked the book and the closest I found was Model #11 on page 44, is that the one you meant Tankoda?

No...

Should be Orizuru Transformation (Geometry), page 26 (model 8 )

I have a flying Egret in one of my books. Well, if you squint your eyes just so it kinda looks like an Egret. Flies good.

I think something really recognizable as a crane would fly very poorly. Difficult to get the right weight and balance.

I think someone might have been confused (maybe me) and got the name wrong. I did some research and Kamiya indeed has a model called "flying crane", but it does not fly, it just depicts a crane (the bird, not the origami model) on flight and that might have caused the confusion.