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Airplane Construction Projects


 
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Construction Materials:

Balsa
Coming soon!

Plywood
Coming Soon!

Depron
Coming Soon!

Coming Soon!

Here are several airplanes I have built, and some I am in the middle of building. Some of the past projects are not well documented and I apologize; I hadn't always planned on sharing my experiences with the world in this manner.

Telemaster - My 60 to 66 inch wingspan rendition of this classic flier. Built from downloaded plans that I scaled and modified.

Mini FuntanaX - Assembly of an ARF (almost ready to fly) 3D flier. Most would agree that this isn't really construction, but an example of ARF assembly couldn't hurt.

NanoEDF F-15 - 16.5" wingspan jet project constructed of 3mm depron, powered by a brushless EDF40 and 3s lipo.

F-18 - 28.4" wingspan prop-jet constructed of 6mm depron and painted in Blue Angels livery.

Mini Telemaster - This is the first kit I assembled. It had several issues, and I'm willing to bet that the kit manufacturer didn't have anything to do with it.



Adhesives that will come in handy:

CA
(cyanoacrylate) There are many great brands out there, and many types available (thick, thin, medium, odorless, slow, etc). I keep a large bottle of 'Zap' Thin CA for general use on balsa, Loctite's 'Goof Proof' 30 second CA, and I sometimes use 'Zap' Odorless (foam safe) CA. I don't really like CA for foams because the connection it creates is very brittle, but I will try it from time to time when recommended by a kit manufacturer. CA should be used in a well ventilated area.

Epoxy
Epoxy is great on most materials, but I use it mostly for foam repairs or hardwood connections. Smooth materials should be scuffed with sandpaper to help the epoxy adhere. I keep 5 or 6 minute as well as 30 minute epoxy on hand at all times.

Contact Glue
Contact glue is simple to use--apply to both parts, allow to air dry, then press the parts together. Contact glue is great for foam parts. However, although the initial bond feels strong, it seems to me that the joints may be subject to fatigue, resulting in joints failing over time.

Hot Glue
Hot glue is my favorite adhesive for building foam planes. It bonds well to foam and balsa, and the bonded joint has a little more flexibility than with most other types of adhesive. It's also the least expensive adhesive I use: a low-temp glue gun and 100 glue sticks will run a total of about $3.50 at wallyworld.

Wood Glue
I have just barely begun to experiment with wood glue for building the Telemaster, and so far, I have to say that I'm very pleased. It may be about as cheap as hot glue, and, being similar to the white glue we're all familiar with from elementary school, it doesn't have any displeasing odors or irritating fumes like CA or some epoxies. The best tool I have found for applying it is my finger! Curing time may be a downside to many (30 to 60 minutes before handling), but it has been a great cultivator of patience for me.