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How to Make a Hydro Foam Plane

Hydro foam planes are just one of several remote-controlled recreational devices you can create from scratch. These devices are a hybrid between a speedboat, airplane and RC car. Hydro foam planes can be used on grass, concrete and streets, as well as on the water and in the air. The number of surfaces it can be used on makes hydro foam planes a versatile craft that can be enjoyed by amateurs and professionals alike. Creating a hydro foam plane can be a time-consuming task, given the number of parts and the relative amount of complexity involved.

Things You'll Need

CA glue
Hobby knife
Sandpaper
3M contact glue
Self-adhesive tape
Silicon sealant
Small rubber balloon
Quick-setting epoxy

Instructions

- 1
  Glue the fuselage halves together with CA glue. Cut a slit through the bottom side of the fuselage with a hobby knife and insert the glass fiber stiffener into the slit. Glue the floats in place on the bottom side of the fuselage.
- 2
  Use sandpaper to sand the front end of the floats so that it mates with the fuselage. Apply a thin coat of 3M contact glue and allow it to slightly set. Apply self-adhesive tape to the surface. Trim the floats so they do not protrude past the bottom elevators.
- 3
  Attach the vertical tail surfaces to the bottom edge of the fuselage, then glue the top elevator in position on top of the vertical tail surfaces. Make sure the top elevator remains parallel to the fuselage. Glue the auxiliary fins in place, below the vertical tail surfaces. Make sure the rear edges end at the hinge point of the rudders.
- 4
  Assemble the motor mount while making sure the axis of the motor shaft is offset three degrees to the right. Cut a 10 mm slit into the fuselage parallel to the fuselage axis and use CA glue to hold the motor mount in place. Glue the servos onto their mounting flanges.
- 5
  Waterproof the speed controller by sealing its ends with a small amount of silicon sealant. Attach the controller to the motor bulkhead with CA glue. Bolt the motor flange in place and make sure the motor is secure. Attach the rudder servo arm to the rudder servo with quick-setting epoxy.
- 6
  Waterproof the receiver by placing in inside of a small rubber balloon. Tie off the end and glue the fuselage top onto the bottom portion of the fuselage. Attach the V-shaped bell cranks to the rudders.
- 7
  Paint the hydro foam plane using spray paint. Use masking tape to block off any portions of the plane you don't want painted. Allow up to an hour for the paint to dry completely.
- 8
  Attach the rudder control rods to the rudder servo arms and bell cranks on the rudders. Glue two pieces of aluminum wire from the top elevator to the vertical tail surface on each side, so that they form a cross-shaped brace. Glue the elevator arms on each side of the bottom elevator near the fuselage center and attach the control rods. Cut slits in the elevators and insert the connector levers into them. Joint the top and bottom elevators with interconnection rods to complete the build.

Toy Vehicles