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How to build the Soma cube airplane

The airplane uses all seven Soma pieces, 27 cubes in total. Here is one solution: first the finished figure, then the pieces one by one from the floor up, in an order you can follow with real pieces.

VLZPBAT
The finished airplane, seen from the front left and above: the front is at the lower right, the left side at the lower left.
  • Vsmall corner
  • LL shape
  • TT shape
  • Zstep (Z shape)
  • Atwist A
  • Btwist B
  • Pbranch

Open in 3D, piece by piece

Opens the solver with this figure. Press "Next" to place one piece at a time, and drag to turn the view.

Step by step

Build in this order from the floor up, lowering each piece from above. Every piece rests on the floor or on pieces already placed.

  1. V

    Step 1 · Place piece V (small corner) on layer 1, on the left. It lies flat, with its bend at the front left corner.

  2. L

    Step 2 · Place piece L (L shape) on layer 1, on the right. It lies flat: a row of three from left to right, with the fourth cube at the front right corner.

  3. Z

    Step 3 · Place piece Z (step) on layer 1, at the front. It lies flat as a zigzag from left to right: the left end is at the front, the right end at the back.

  4. P

    Step 4 · Place piece P (branch) on layers 1–2, at the back. Three of its cubes lie on layer 1, and one sticks up onto layer 2.

  5. B

    Step 5 · Place piece B (twist B) on layers 1–2, in the middle. Two of its cubes are on layer 1 and two on layer 2.

  6. A

    Step 6 · Place piece A (twist A) on layers 1–2, in the middle. Only one cube is on layer 1; the other three lie on layer 2.

  7. T

    Step 7 · Place piece T (T shape) on layers 1–3, at the back. It stands upright like a wall running from left to right. All 7 pieces are in place and the figure is finished.

Layer by layer, seen from above

Layer 1 is the floor. In each plan the top edge is the back of the figure and the bottom edge is the front.

ZZVVAZZLVBBLLLPPTP
layer 1 · floor
AABABPTT
layer 2
T
layer 3

Tip

Pieces T and Z each fit in only one place in this figure, apart from turning or mirroring the whole figure: the places shown in the steps above. Put them in first, and the other pieces have fewer places left to go.

About this figure

Open in 3D, piece by piece