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How to Build a Wooden Airplane for Elementary Age Students

Building your own home balsa wood airplane is a simple and fun project. Plans and materials for balsa wood flyers come in easy-to-use packages with straightforward instructions. The project is a great investment for hobbyists and first-timers with kids. Let your child take part in the project and glue a few things together while you supervise and keep things moving along.

Things You'll Need

Balsa plane kit
Hobby knife
Sand paper
Pins

Instructions

- 1
  Open up your kit. Read the plans carefully for directions on how to put the plane together.
- 2
  Take the pieces off of the wood sheet. Remove only the few you'll be working with first.
- 3
  Sand any pieces that have rough or misshapen edges. Disconnecting the pieces from the sheet may cause irregularities at times. Sand back and forth with the grain until the edge is even.
- 4
  Follow the directions and put together the plane in sections. For example, you may start by adding the wings to the body.
- 5
  Pin together the various sections before applying any adhesive. Stick the pin lightly into the two pieces in question to hold them in place.
- 6
  Glue the connecting joints to one another based on the directions. Place a small line of (wood or model) glue on each piece before pressing them together gently. Hold them in place for a minute before setting them down.
- 7
  Allow the glue to dry for 20 minutes. Use a hobby knife or a small X-Acto knife to scrape or cut away any excess glue that is squeezed out from the joints.
- 8
  Repeat Steps 5-7 for each section of the plane. Display or decorate your plane after it is finished.

Soap Box Derby