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How to Make Your Own Wooden Glider

Watching something you created with your own hands soar through the sky, floating on a mere stream of air, is exhilarating. Making a wooden glider is a fun project for both adults and children, as it can teach kids about air travel and adults can try to modify a basic wooden glider to make it better and faster. Creating your own at home is challenging, but with the right tools and plenty of patience, you can be flying in no time.

Things You'll Need

Model airplane plans
Thick card stock
Scissors
High grade balsa wood, 1/8 inch thick
Band saw
Sanding paper
Model wood glue
Clean cloth

Instructions

- 1
  Find printable wooden glider plans online. Print out the wooden glider plans on card stock and cut them out, discarding the excess paper.
- 2
  Place the pieces of card stock on the wood and trace around them using a pencil. Lift off the paper and discard, or save for future projects.
- 3
  Cut out each piece using the band saw. Sand each one on the top and the bottom and slightly at the edges, just to remove their rough edge.
- 4
  Sand the wings down to shape them as they are depicted in the plans. This usually involves planing down the back of them, creating an edge where the air will flow down as it passes over.
- 5
  Sand the edges of the fin to 1/16-inch thickness. Sand the edges of the tailplane to the same thickness, leaving the center at its original thickness, for it will be attached to the plane here.
- 6
  Squeeze glue on the tailplane and attach it to the main body. Allow them to completely dry.
- 7
  Glue the fin and wings to the main body of the aircraft. If there is a different order of attachment laid out in the plans, assemble them accordingly.
- 8
  Wipe away excess glue with a clean cloth before allowing it to dry.
- 9
  Dry the plane for 24 hours in a warm, dry location before flying.

Aviation