Darts have traditionally been top performers in distance contests, and a report seen recently said the Guinness record for distance is held by a Dart at an impressive 193 feet (58.82m).
Classic Dart
The Dart's competitive ability has often been enhanced by the use of small amounts of tape as permitted in most contests. PaperAirplanes.net brings you a neat trick to get the Dart to hold together better at the bottom if you're not using tape!
Dart E-1
An
enhancement with flanges
if not using tape or staples
This is the "other" classic dart, which I'll call the Dart 2. It's just the simple variation of facing the side with the folding on it up instead of down. (Explicit instructions for making it aren't shown yet).
Using the Dart 2 variation can make a big difference in flying characteristics, as discussed in Research & Tips
When I was a kid I hardly ever made any darts because I was more interested in inventing new planes. Only recently did I do any careful flight testing of darts. My recent observations confirm that a well-tuned dart can fly smooth, straight, and far. Adding a little piece of tape to hold it together usually improves performance, but may not be necessary.