SET UP.
B
A
M
O
N
MATERIALS
[A] Firm sanding block
with 80-grit sandpaper
for shaping
Soft sanding block with
150-grit sandpaper
for smoothing
[B] Ball-point pen
[C] Ruler
[D] Spring clamps
( 2 or more)
[E] Triangle
[F] Modeling board
that you can stick pins
into. You can buy from
greatplanes.com, but a
good working relationship
with your local hobby shop
is a powerful tool! I use
24"× 48" fiber ceiling
panels, which building
supply retailers sell in
6-packs.
[G] Waxed paper
[H] 2'× 6' roll of iron-on
plastic covering I used
Top Flite MonoKote
Transparent (and don’t
D
C
E
K
L
J
recommend the opaque).
Hangar 9 UltraCote is
also good. The traditional
(and classiest) covering
is Silkspan, a heavy-grade
tissue paper that you apply
with glue and dope, but it’s
fragile and impractical for
landing in dry grass.
[I] Wood You can buy one
of my kits, which includes
all the wood you need,
preprinted with patterns,
at realkits.com. Otherwise,
you’ll need the following,
available at Hobby Lobby
( hobby-lobby.com) and
other hobby shops. Wood
quality varies greatly, so
first-time builders should
seek experienced assistance.
Medium balsa, all 36" long:
5"× 4" sheet
6"× 4" sheet
6"× 6" sticks ( 8)
¼"×¼" sticks ( 2)
Medium balsa block,
1¼"× 2"× 2¼" or you can
laminate a block from 6–7
layers of 6" sheet
Triangular cross-section
“trailing edge” balsa,
1"×¼"× 36" ( 2)
Hard balsa, ¼"×¼"× 36" ( 2)
Spruce, 2"× 6"× 36" ( 2)
Spruce dowel, 6"× 5"
F
G
H
I
[J] #11 hobby knife and
spare blades Your best
friend throughout construction. Change blades at
the end of each phase.
[K] 6" drill bit You don’t
need a drill.
[L] Pack of T-pins or
modeling pins $6 for 50
from Hobby Lobby
[M] Razor saw to cut
hardwood stock
[N] Wood glue (aliphatic
resin) Cyanoacrylate
“super” glues are finicky
and brittle, and the bottle
frequently clogs. Then,
when you unclog it, it
shoots a stream of glue on
a nearby appendage and
nearly burns it as it cures.
[O] Masking tape
[NOT SHOWN]
Small weights I just use
lead tire weights I find in
gutters.
Wood screws, 1"× 1" ( 3)
with threads that stop at
least ½" from the head
Brass strip, ¼"×Q"× 7"
2-channel (or 4-channel)
R/C airplane radio with
mini servos and a 250–270
milliamp battery pack
All must fit in the fuselage,
so bring the plan to the
hobby shop; I used an old
Futaba Conquest radio
with Hitec HS- 81 servos.
Control horns ( 1 pack)
I used Du-Bro 1/2A nylon
control horns, item #107.
Model hinges ( 1 pack)
I used Great Planes Ultra
Grip CA Hinges, ¾"× 1",
item #GPMQ3950.
R/C control pushrods
( 1 pack) I used 36" Sullivan
Flexible Gold-N-Rods,
item #S503.
#64 rubber bands ( 4)
or 6 if you use a Hi-Start
bungee launcher
Carbon paper (optional)
If you don’t use the kit,
you’ll need this to transfer
the patterns from the plan
to wood.
Plans included with my kit,
or you can download and
print them from makezine.
com/17/model_airplane.
Bar sander such as
the Great Planes 11"
Easy-Touch, for sanding
in notches and making
adjustments
Old magazines to cut on
Spray bottle
Iron
Hacksaw blade (optional)
Guidance from an
experienced model builder
(optional) Highly recommended; one mistake on
a model can mean the
difference between flying
and crashing.
Make: 111
