Model Airplane Stick Building 101By: Patrick “ Doc “Ferguson

Rather than boring anyone, I would like to guide you through many aspects of building stick models and preparing you with some basics.

First off, find a hobby store and pick out a model airplane kit to build. Ask the clerk or shop owner for some help, as they can determine what model would be best for you to start your building experience.

The nick name “ Doc” was given to me because I once was a Fleet Marine Corp Navy Corpsman. Here I am at the Vietnam wall finding the names of my friendsthat did not make it home. Semper Fi !

The Kit

In most kits you will find a rolled up set of plans, an instructionsheet and the parts that you will need for your building project.

This is a Herr Kit. One of the better model kits. There are others, too. Guillow is an old name, and made kits as far backas the 1930’s. All the parts are in a plastic bag. This lessensthe chance for parts being lost or broken.

Before opening the parts, read over the plans and become familiar with the parts and where they go. Spread the plansout using thumb tasks at the corner to hold plans flat on the building board. It’s best to have the plans tacked down for about 24hours before starting to build to assure flatness.

The instruction sheet may contain a list of tools that are recommended, as well as the kit inventory. It is important to determine that all of the parts are in the box.

These particular parts are laser cut. The parts in the sealed bag are not numbered. It is important to number each part in accordance with theinstruction sheet. Failure to do so will have you hunting with each piecelike a puzzle, and by doing so will avoid much frustration while building.

Parts are not numbered Parts may fall out of sheets

Instruction sheets will indicate the parts number and show thatthey are located on separate pieces of balsa that must be matchedup with the instructions.

#1) Match up the printed and die-cutbalsa sheet with the parts sheet

#2) Put the number on the parts as shown on the list on the parts sheet

Identify the part and number it with a ball point, pen or pencil

This can also be done with stick-on mailing labels cut up in small squaresand placed on wax paper. The part is free of ink or pencil which eliminatessanding later to remove the part number from the balsa.

Mailing label

Scrap or part

This is a part that fell out of the sheet.It could have been confused for scrap and lost.

It is better to leave small parts such as these intact in its sheet until actually needed. In this case they aregussets used in in the wing.

These small parts (gussets, in this case) are not important until you actually need them.

A small part, maybe, but very significant. The dihedral gauge is used in final assembly of the wings. It is a very important part.

All the parts have been numbered and this is the only scrapremaining in the kit. Laser cutting does not waste wood.For propeller

Some small parts are sometimes placed in a separate small bag

In this case, thread for the rigging and nose piece andcross piece for the rubber band motor.

Essential tools listed on instructions. Building board.

Layout of plan

Use wax paper over the plan to protect it and prevent gluefrom sticking parts to the plan to allow for easy removal.

A small magnet on a string retrieves all those pins that drop on the floor.

Ball pins and hobby T-pins with magnet. Should the pins get bent or soiled with glue throw them away. Don’t be frugal. Pins should be sharp and straight

This small Dixie cup was all the glue that was necessary to glue the entiremodel project from start to finish. Easy on the glue and you get a neat model.

Starting the build

M

Avoid pinning thin balsaespecially on the ends, or its “splits-ville!”

Cross-pinning, or inserting pins at an angle, prevents the balsa from splitting

The pins are not placed into the thin balsa of the stringers. The pins are wedged between the former and the stringer, just to hold the stringer until the glue sets.

Again the pin is only wedged between the rib and stringer until the glue hardens.

A small brush is useful for applying glue. Use glue sparingly to keep the model neat and avoid unnecessary sanding later. Excess use of glue can cause distortion.

A cup of water for the brush will keep it soft, and use a separate cup for glue. Notice the small drop of glue. That is all that is necessary when working from one part to another. Use a paper towel to dry the brush before dipping into glue. “ Don’t over glue!!!!!

I use T-pins as well as other types. There is a tool to insert and remove T-pins. I use a hemostat and twist. I always keep two fingers on the work, one on either side of the pin, when removing the pins to prevent breakage of my work.

I apply a small amount of glue to the part let it get tacky and then place in position. It should stand up straight all on its own, practically.

A small square is useful to assure that the parts are at 90 degrees

Scrap

With scrap you can make small triangles that will fit in tight spaces.

Notice the pins in the tail of the home made triangles to keep 90 degrees.

These longerons are laser cut. Before any application of glue, trial fit very carefully since this is going from rib to rib. “Do not force. If it binds, sand lightly until it slides into the rib without resistance. Again use your brush and apply glue sparingly.

By carefullly gluing and fitting parts, your fuselage will not need much sanding. (It’s starting to look like a Ryan ST already)

Balsa square

Drill an 1/8 inch holeIn the center. Use A drill press to be accurate

Use a triangle to draw a line from corner to corner.

Glue an 1/8 in dowel aboutTwo inches in length. Chuck into portable drill. Use a sanding stick to round into bullet shape

MAKING A SPINNER

Laminated parts ready for shaping

Wings

• The important part of building wings is to have a truly flat surface to prevent building warps and twists into the wing. If this happens there are ways to correct twist and warps, but it is very difficult. It is much easier to use a building board of basswood or soft white pine.

Its important to have a good flat straight building board. This is ceilingtile. There are commercial building boards. I made the table to fit mysize and working height.

Use wax paper or clear food wrap to cover your plans. Use small pins T-pins or with a small ball to pin through the ribs if necessary

A dihedral gauge in position on the root rib and pinned to prevent shifting of a rib.

The top spar needs to be pre- fitted to the rib especially onribs that are all glued together. Do not try to force fit or you mightbreak the stringer or rib. This is where an emery file is useful.

Widen and deepen the rib for the spar just enough that you need notforce it into the slot. Just so it fits and is not sloppy.

Now is the time for that final sanding and shaping of parts such as the wheel pants.

By cutting a small notch at the end of the spar and under cuttingat a 45 degree angle with a razor the spar easily bends to shape,and the part can be pinned if thick or cross pinned if thin balsa.

There are times when plans are not very specific about instructions andunless you have knowledge of what the designer is telling you to do it maybe confusing. These are called “doublers”! These fit upright on both sides ofthe rib. The reason is that a 1/32 hole is drilled through the rib. Without the doublers, the rib would split or be very weak. String goes through thishole for rigging.

Give the wheel pants a final sanding with #400 sand paper.

II have indicated that simple paint stirring sticks 1 x 3 pine boards, emeryboards for finger nails, number 11 blades and single edge razor blades areall used to finish your model. You need a long straight board with #400paper to smooth all the balsa for covering. In this case Japanese paperwill be used for covering.

A great site for tissue covering a static model or indoor electric models is Located at. http://www.easybuiltmodels.com/ebl.htm. That site has manyPhoto’s tips, tools, chalking techniques and more.

Covering techniques next:Gampi tissueDacronDopeKrylon

Doc Ferguson

Gampi or Japanese tissue

• As a young man, all of our airplane models came with tissue paper for covering our airplanes. Usually it was white tissue or maybe a color like red or blue and very little variety. Most of us used clear modeling dope to adhere the tissue to the wings and frames. It was tedious work, and many times the results were not what we hoped for in appearance. As a builder of U-control airplanes, wings mainly came with balsa ribs that were covered with sheet balsa covering which could be painted with dope and colored dope or paint. We also had silk, which was more expensive, and again special technique was needed to prepare the frame to get good results. Today we have iron-on covering, fabric covering which is more user friendly. The art of using Gampi tissue is being lost and is being rediscovered by many scratch builders. The tissue is not the same as the cheap tissue paper that was found in most hobby stores.

With tissue its important to determine which way the grain runs.By determining which way the grain runs is important as to how

this will stretch and pull on our model and how neat it will appear.

The shiny side faces out. The dull side to the inside. This will be important to remember should you choose to use pastel chalk to color your tissue or otherwise dramatically change the appearance or camouflage your your tissue. See Easy Built site for other techniques.

So just way does the grain of paper go?

One of the first instructions I found when building stick models was to determine which way the grain went on Gampi tissue or any other modeling tissue. The issue of grain was never explained to me until I got into constructing fireworks. Gampi tissue is used as a separation between halves of round fireworks shells. Again the issue of grain came into the instructions as to wrapping shells. Just what is grain and how do you determine which way the grain of any paper goes? I was taught a very simple test! Tearing of the paper determines which way the grain actually goes. If you tear with the grain you will get a nice clean tear line and no ragged edges.

Paper tears straight

with the grain.

See how neat and straight the tear is when you tear with the grain! No more guessing as to which way the grain of paper is going.

The results of tearing against the grain are very dramatic and leave no question that the tear is running ragged and not true.

When it tears raggedIts against the grainNotice the ragged

tearing