How to Make a Model Aeroplane

This is a picture of the flying model you will be making.

These are the items that you will need to build your model aeroplane.

First you need to cut out parts 1 and 2 from the foam, it is recommended that you should only cut out the pieces when you need them.

Now apply glue to part 1. Quick hint, use a glue stick for best results, just a smear will hold the parts together without weighing too much.

Next, you need to stick parts 1 and 2 together as shown in the picture (left).

Now, fold the wings gently where shown to turn up the wing tips. The angle of the fold should be about 30 degrees(see below)

Add a strip of tape across the top and bottom of your wing to resist them from bending in the air. (see above)

Now prepare the motorstick as shown on the right picture. Mark with a soft pencil. Wrap sellotape around the body stick before pushing the pin through the 250 mark, as shown.

Then add the wing support, glue one wing support to touch the pencil mark at 60 milimetres and do the same on the other side.

Then add the wing support, glue one wing support to touch the pencil mark at 60 milimetres and do the same on the other side.

Then cut out part five and fold it long ways, after, put it in between the wing supports and let the glue dry.

Cut out the parts the you have left and assemble them as in this picture (see left).

Part 1: Building the wing and stabilizer

Building the wing. A piece of foam plastic is used as a building board. The parts are held in place by pins, but the pins are never pushed through the parts themselves, as that would unduly weaken them. Instead, balsa and carton pieces are pinned next to the spars to support them. Note the use of long carton pieces as rulers to support the spars and ensure that they stay straight.

Closeup

The completed wing frame. Weight: 0.40 grams.

The wing is covered with lightweight mylar. This extremely thin plastic film can be very difficult to handle due to its fragility and static cling. There are a number of different techniques to cover the wing. The simplest is simply to flatten out the film on plane surface and drop the pre-glued wing frame onto the covering. The works well with flat wing, but is more difficult for wings with a curved profile. To make the covering process easier, Torstensson uses this "cradle" made of hardwood, with balsa rails to fix the film onto.

The mylar film is first flattened out on a suitable surface. A very soft brush can make this step easiar and be used to "brush away" wrinkles. Then the cradle rails are covered with glue. The cradle is then placed upside down on the film, as the photo shows.

The movable part of the cradle is used to adjust the film so that it will have just the right amount of slack to confer with the wing profile. Here, the wing is used to test the fit to the profile curvature.

When the cradle has been adjusted, it is time to attach the wing frame to the covering. The wing frame is first sprayed with 3M 77 spray-mount glue. It doesn't take much glue, a quick spray from about 3 feet away is sufficient. Note liberal protection of the floor with newspapers, spray glue tends to stick everywhere

The pre-glued frame is then put on the covering. Lightly press the frame onto the covering with a finger to ensure it gets properly attached everywhere.

A small soldering iron is used to cut out the wing from the rest of the covering. The iron will melt the film; drag the iron along the wing outline to cut.

The wing is complete and is weighed. Weight: 0.53 grams

The wing tips should be raised to provide dihedral. Cut halfway through the spars, then gently break them, and put glue into the crack. The tips are set with the help of some kind of support and left to dry. Note how the wing is pinned to the board to ensure that it stays in place.

The left wing should be washed in. That means that at the wing tip, the leading edge should be higher than the trailing edge. The left wing tip thus gets a hinger angle of attack, increasing lift and drag and helping to keep the left wing up as the model turns left.The leading edge is cracked and glued, the trailing edge pinned down while the leading edge is supported with balsa blocks of correct height, and the wing is again left to dry.

The stabilizer is made in the same way as the wing. First the frame is built on the building board.

Completed stabilizer frame; weight 0.11 grams

Then the covering is mounted on the cradle, the cradle adjusted, the frame sprayed with glue, and...

the frame attached to the covering.

The completed frame on the scale for weighing. Weight (as can be gleaned through the covering): 0.16 grams

And here is the finished wing and stabilizer.

Part 2: Fuselage

Tissue tubes are used to mount the wing on the fuselage (motor stick). Tissue tubes are made by rolling tissue paper on a round former (in this case a drill). The candle is used to rub the former with, to coat it with a thin layer of stearin, which prevents the tubes from getting stuck on the former. A nail polish bottle can be used to store diluted glue in, and has the bonus that it comes with a convenient brush.

The tissue piece is coated with glue, wound on the former, and then removed and left to dry. By using different sized formers, different sizes of tubes can be made.

To get the wing mounting tubes correctly aligned, a simple jig was made.

Wing posts are made to fit in the tubes, and then glued to the wing. To get everything properly aligned, jigs are used to hold the wings and the motor stick.

Some additional bracing for the wing posts

Here is the finished wing with wing posts. Weight: 0.73 gram

A deviation from the plan was the attachment of the tailboom to the motorstick using a tissue tube. This makes adjustments easier, and allows dismounting of the fuselage for easier transport. Here you can see the jigging used to glue the tube to the motorstick

And here the rear hook is attached.

The propeller holder is a ready made item. It is glued to the motorstick, and for extra strength the joint is wound with thread, which is then covered with glue.

Here is the completed motorstick. weight:0.80 gram

The tail frame. On the original plan, the stabilizer is glued directly to the tailboom, but as can be seen, Bo opted to use tube mounting here as well.

The "Novice Penny Plane" is a bit unusual in that the fin is built integral with the tailboom. Here is the fin/tailboom on the building board.

The tail frame. On the original plan, the stabilizer is glued directly to the tailboom, but as can be seen, Bo opted to use tube mounting here as well.

The fin being flat, is easily covered without the covering cradle used for the wing and stabilizer.

The tailboom/fin covered. Weight: 0.26 grams.

To set up the tailposts, a jig is again used

Closeup on tail and tailpost.

Stabilizer with tailposts. Note that the front post is not centrally mounted. This is to make the stabilizer sit perpendicular to the airflow in spite of the offset tailboom. In practice, it shouldn't make any difference to the aerodynamic efficiency.

The different pieces...

and everything mounted together.

On the scale. The weight is 1.98 grams