Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Outline the body of the airplane on a sheet of balsa wood. Make it approximately 2 inches tall and 10 inches long with a stabilizing fin at the rear that is an additional 1 1/2 inches taller than the main body. Trace the outline with a sharp craft knife or hand held rotary tool and pop it out of the piece of balsa wood.
Draw wings for the plane so that they fan back away from the nose slightly toward the back of the plane. Cut the wings using a craft knife or rotary tool and hold it up to the side of the body to check for the right look. To aid in stable flight, make each wing 10 inches long just like the main body.
Draw an outline and cut a second set of wings, reduced to 2 1/2 inches long for the rear wings.
Cut slots in the side of the plane's body. Make them the same width as the main wings. Rub a charcoal pencil along the edge that inserts into the plane body and press it against the wood where you want the wing to connect. Remove the wing and cut the slot to fit that size. Insert the wing and test the fit. Use the glue from a hot glue gun on the very end one wing and insert it in the slot approximately half way. Repeat this for the other side and the rear wings, and then place a bead of glue around the edge of the wing/body connections to act as a weld. Let the wings dry for 2 hours.
Push the end of a large paperclip through the balsa wood at the bottom rear of the plane. Thread the clip through the hole so that a loop hangs down below the plane approximately where a wheel goes on a real plane. Apply a coating of glue from the glue gun around the exposed clip where it touches the plane body. Leave the loop at the bottom free of the glue. Let the glue dry for a few hours.
Apply hot glue to the rear of the propeller assembly and connect it to the front of the plane with the wire eyelet facing the bottom of the plane. Some propellers also have small wire pieces designed to thread into holes punched in the plane body to support it more. Glue the ends of the protruding wire to hold them in place.
Connect the rubberband by feeding one end through the hole in the paperclip and then pulling that end back through the other looped end of the band. Pull it tight and hook it over the open eyelet in the propeller. Pinch the eyelet closed with pliers to keep secure it.
Hold the plane with one hand and twist the propeller clockwise until the band is twisted several times and is very tight. Throw the plane gently into the air like you would a football, releasing the propeller at the same time. The plane should glide easily but still stay in the air as long as the propeller spins.