"Everyone makes mistakes. It is what you do afterwards that counts." --Unknown
"Everyone makes mistakes. It is what you do afterwards that counts." --Unknown
Bill of Materials:
A. Wing, Horizontal Stabilizer, and Propeller:
1.
Cut the wing, horizontal stabilizer (horiz. stab.),
and propeller from 1/4" stock using the patterns
below. Mark the location of the 4 holes on the wing, but do
not
drill them yet. Sand the saw marks off the edges.
2. Round the edges of all parts on both sides. A router would be ideal for the wing, but consider using a sander for the smaller parts.
3. Drill a 7/32" hole (or slightly larger such as 15/64") in the center of the propeller. The hole should be slightly larger than the axle peg that will hold it to the airplane so that it may spin freely.
4.
Sand, chisel, or file a flat edge on one side of the horiz. stab.
as shown in the pattern/photo.
5. Sand all pieces smooth.
B. Fuselage:
1.
The fuselage consists of 3 laminated pieces of
wood, each 1/2" thick. For best results, use contrasting wood for
the center and outside pieces. Lighter colored wood on the outside
will make pencil markes easier to see. Glue up the 3 pieces of ½"
stock to form a blank a minimum size of 3" x 9".
2. Once the blank is formed, trace the fuselage using the pattern below onto one side of the blank. Be sure to trace the circle for the window, the slot for the horiz. stab., and mark the center point for the wheel axles on the strut.
3.
Cut out the fuselage using a bandsaw. Clean
up the saw marks with either a spindle sander or make a template of the
fuselage on 1/4" hardboard and use a 2" long pattern cutting flush router
bit to shape the blank.
4.
Drill a 3/4" hole all the way through the fuselage
for the window. Use a backer board to minimize tearout on the exitting
side of the drill bit. A small amount of tearout will be erased when
the edge is rounded in step #7 below.
5.
Drill a 7/32" hole all the way through the strut
for the wheel axles. Tearout isn't a large concern as the wheel will
cover it up when installed.
6.
Drill a 7/32" hole 1" deep into the front of the fuselage
for the propeller. This hole should be centered side-to-side about
1/8" below the top of the cowl. The author constructed
the jig shown in the photo for holding the toy planes in the proper position
for drilling. This jig is also used in other operations.
7.
Round both sides of the fuselage with a 1/4" roundover
bit. Make sure to round the edges of the window on both sides also.
8.
Cut a slot in the tail the same thickness as the horiz.
stab. The slot should extend about 1" into the tail and placed
roughly as shown in the pattern/photo. Make
the slot using the method you feel most comfortable with. Once again,
the author used the jig shown in the photo and cut the 1/4" slot using
a table saw and a stacked dado head cutter. The horiz. stab. should
slide snuggly into the slot, but not tight. Note the plastic guard
and red zone showing where the saw blade exits
the jig.
9. Sand the fuselage smooth. Sanding the inside
of the window is optional and not required.
C. Assembly and Finishing:
1.
Glue the wing on top of the fuselage, in the center
about 1/4" back from the front edge of the airplane's "windshield".
The author's wing template is visible in the foreground. Note the
reference holes for doweling the wing in the next step.
2.
After the glue cures, drill four 5/16" holes 1/2" deep into the top of
the wing. The author is using the jig, wing template, and spring
clamps to locate the four holes. You may simply mark the hole locations
with a pencil and not use the template. Note how the jig is used
in another position to hold the airplane's wing level. Do not
drill too deep or you may drill into the cockpit/window.
3.
Glue 5/16" dowel into the four holes and cut/sand flush with the top of
the wing. Note the airplane on the left with its four holes drilled
prior to doweling.
4. Brush some glue on the inside of the tail slot and slide the horiz. stab. into the slot. Make sure the flat edge on the horiz. stab. goes in first. The flat edge should come in contact with the front of the tail slot. The round edges remaining on the forward edge of the horiz. stab. should cover up the inside corners of the slot. Note the airplane on the left has its horiz. stab. already installed.
5.
Finish the airplane, 1 1/2" toy wheels, and propellers seperately.
Note how the author placed the axles by themselves into their respective
holes for finishing. After spraying the parts with lacquer, the axles
where then removed. This made certain only the axle heads received
finish and the kept the insides of the holes clear.
6. After all parts have cured, place glue into all
three axle holes. Do not place glue on the axles themselves
or the glue may seep into the toy wheels and propellers seizing their rotation.
7.
Attach the 1 1/2" toy wheels and props to the airplane as shown.
Use business cards or other thick paper as a spacer so the axles don't
grip the spinning parts too tight.
8. After the glue dries, remove the spacers and
check the wheels and propellers for proper rotation. After a few
hours of practicing taxiing, takeoffs, and landings, your airplane should
be ready to give to a child!!!
Build a squadron!!
Important note: Vary the print
size (check your printer software for details) or
use an enlarging photocopier so
that the Wing is actually 7 5/8" long.
This assures the entire pattern
is the proper scale.
Tip: Do not use "Fit
to Page" or any other scaling options.
You want this file printed in its
actual size.
Glossary:
Cowl: The engine compartment of an airplane.
Fuselage: The main body of an airplane.
Horizontal Stabilizer: The part of an aircraft's tail that controls the aircraft's pitch (nose up/nose down) attitude.
Strut: The undercarriage of an airplane where the wheels attach. In the case of the toy airplane, the bulge at the bottom of the fuselage.
Click
here for Greg's basketball game plans.