Japanese engineer Dr. Yasuaki Ninomiya is widely recognized as a respected authority on paper planes. Whitewings is his celebrated line of high-performance paper airplane designs.
Dr. Yasuaki Ninomiya (1926 - 2023), was fascinated by airplanes since his early childhood, an interest which later developed into a lifelong hobby and business of designing and building paper airplanes.
He received his doctorate in 1962 in the field of microwave measurement theory. He was recognized as a pioneer in microwave communications engineering from his work as a leading researcher at the Electrical Communications Laboratory of the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation from which he retired in 1984. He was a member of the Japan Industrial Designer’s Association and the Good Design Committee of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry.
Drawing upon this background and expertise, Dr. Ninomiya designed aerodynamically sound, high performance paper planes based upon the principles of industrial design and mechanical functionality. His work first gained international acclaim in 1967 when he won the 1st International Paper Airplane Contest, held in San Francisco. He won the grand prizes in both the Duration Flight and Distance Flight categories. This victory sparked broader interest in his paper glider designs. He later served as a judge in the 2nd Great International Paper Plane Contest, held in Seattle, Washington in May 1985.
Starting in 1967, Dr. Ninomiya began a 49-year monthly series of paper airplane plans in the Japanese magazine Kodomo no Kagaku (“Children’s Science”), steadily refining his techniques. He published a number of paper airplane books, several of which were translated into English, including Jet-Age Jamboree in 1968 and Airborne All-Stars in 1969. His multi-volume Japanese publication, Collection of High Performance Paper Planes, sold over 3 million copies.
By the late 1970s, Dr. Ninomiya had devised a variety of advanced paper gliders and was ready to bring them to market. Through a partnership with the AG Corporation he commercialize his designs as a series of kits. The result was the birth of the “Whitewings” brand (often stylized as Whitewings). The name reflects the elegant white paper used for the glider's wings. These were no ordinary folded planes, they were carefully engineered scale model gliders made of pre-printed cardstock pieces that builders cut out and assembled. The first Whitewings kit launched in 1980 in Japan and the United States simultaneously, marking the beginning of a unique East-West collaboration. The product were manufactured in Japan and distributed internationally. The early Whitewings models were entirely paper-based and required patience and precision to build, but offered unparalleled flight performance for a paper aircraft. Ninomiya’s designs were soon described by admirers as the "Ferraris of paper airplanes" and the kits proved popular among both young enthusiasts and adult hobbyists.
In 1984, Dr. Ninomiya co-founded the Japan Paper Airplane Association (JPAA) and served as its first chairman. This organization promoted paper airplane flying as a serious hobby and competitive sport in Japan, and it further popularized Whitewings designs in contests and workshops nationwide. Through JPAA he helped organize the annual Japan Cup Paper Airplane Championship.
Dr. Ninomiya himself received numerous accolades over his career, including the prestigious Paul Tissandier Diploma from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) in 2001 for his contributions to aviation through paper aircraft. While he humbly focused on teaching and designing, the global enthusiasm for Whitewings is perhaps his greatest achievement.
Dr. Ninomiya also held a private plane operator’s license and got into the pilot’s seat of his Cessna 182 whenever his busy schedule permited. His paper airplane collection has been donated to the Dendai City Science Museum and is now on permanent display.
Dr. Ninomiya's work bridged engineering, design, and play, inviting generations of builders to experience the joy of discovery through flight. His Whitewings kits became a gateway into science and aerodynamics for countless children and adults around the world, igniting a passion for learning through hands-on creation. Through competitions, publications, and patient teaching, he showed that even a simple sheet of paper could carry imagination to soaring heights.
The company behind Whitewings, AG Corporation/AG Industries, played a crucial role in nurturing the brand. In the early years, AG Corporation (based in Osaka) handled manufacturing and Japanese distribution, while AG Industries (Redmond, WA) took on U.S. and international marketing. This joint effort meant that from day one, Whitewings kits were available in English and Japanese, each box often displaying both an Osaka and Washington address. Such international cooperation was somewhat ahead of its time for a hobby product, ensuring Whitewings reached a broad audience.
During the 1980s and 90s, AG Industries thrived on Whitewings’ success. The company’s mission was to provide quality flying toys and they became known for excellent customer service within the hobby community. As interest grew, AG struck deals with partners like Eddie Bauer and Discovery, as well as museum and educational distributors, to diversify Whitewings’ presence. This indicates a flexible corporate strategy to keep the product relevant outside traditional hobby shops.
Ninomiya introduced groundbreaking design innovations in paper model aircraft. For example, he was the first to incorporate working propellers on paper airplanes. Some Whitewings models have free-spinning paper propellers that actually turn in the wind as the glider flies, demonstrating principles of thrust (even though they aren’t powered). He also pioneered the use of airfoil-shaped wings and dihedral in paper gliders to enhance stability. Each kit’s manual was essentially a mini-course in aerodynamics, foreshadowing today’s STEM educational kits.
By the late 1990s, however, the market for complex paper model kits was diminishing. Video games and electronic toys were on the rise, and Whitewings, while beloved, became a niche collector’s item. AG Industries made its last major new releases in the early 2000s (Discovery Kids and Boeing sets, plus some foam toys), but thereafter no new designs were developed.
In Japan, Dr. Ninomiya continued to be active in the paper airplane scene well into the 2010s (through the JPAA and magazine work), but no new Whitewings-branded kits were produced after 2003. Some of his later designs were published in book form or as part of the magazine series rather than boxed kits.
It’s important to highlight that Whitewings transcended cultural and language barriers. The original Japanese kits and the international versions were largely identical aside from instructions, proving that the love of model airplanes is universal. Whether a child in Tokyo or a hobbyist in California, opening a Whitewings box meant embarking on a rewarding project – carefully cutting the crisp white parts, following Ninomiya’s diagrams, and ultimately launching a creation into the sky. This simple pleasure connects generations of makers. Whitewings not only provided some of the finest paper airplanes ever designed, but also inspired an appreciation for the science of flight and the artistry of model building. Its history is a remarkable chapter in toy and hobby culture, one where a single engineer’s passion for flight took wing around the globe.