Home >> Hobbies >> Aviation

How to Assemble the Kits for a Wooden Glider

You can easily build a wooden glider from a store-bought kit. Lightweight wooden glider kits come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, yet they tend to have many similarities in their assembly. The most basic balsa-wood glider kits can be assembled in a matter of seconds without the use of a single tool. More involved glider kits may require some trimming and gluing for best results. Make yourself a working wooden glider you can have some fun with.

Things You'll Need

Utility knife
Cutting board
Rubber bands or wood glue (optional)
Paper clip (optional)

Instructions

- 1
  Cut out or trim the fuselage or wing panels as instructed in the kit directions. Use the blade of a utility knife with the wood panel resting on a cutting board. Some wooden glider kits do not require any cutting.
- 2
  Insert the large wing and smaller horizontal stabilizer into the appropriately sized slots in the fuselage. The rounded edges of both pieces must be facing toward the front of the glider.
- 3
  Secure the front and tail wings with rubber bands or wood glue. Wind a thin rubber band around the fuselage and the wing panel multiple times or add a narrow bead of glue to the corners where the panels meet. A snug-fitting wooden wing or tail-stabilizer panel may not require rubber bands or glue.
- 4
  Add weight to the nose of the glider. Most wooden glider kits come with a nose clip to protect and weigh down the front of the fuselage. Apply a paper clip to the nose if no weight was included with the kit.
- 5
  Attach any other accessories that came in the kit. Some gliders come with small wheels that are clipped onto the bottom of the fuselage to reduce damage during landings. Wooden gliders may also have a base clip that must be applied to anchor the launching system.

Aviation