How Do I Build an Easy Balsa Wood Airplane That Flies?

This model uses the same aerodynamic principles as full-sized sailplanes.

Balsa wood is in many ways an ideal material for the construction of flying model airplanes, whether simple, stick-built beginner types or elaborate replicas of real aircraft. The material is extremely light, but also pound-for-pound quite strong. Balsa wood is also relatively inexpensive and quite easy to work into almost any shape a hobbyist might desire. This basic balsa wood airplane can be constructed in an hour or two and, with a little adjustment, prove itself to be an able glider. There are few things as fulfilling as watching something you have made with your own hands sail on the evening's breezes.

Things You'll Need

• 10-by-3-inch sheet of thin balsa (grain going the long way)
• 1/8-by-1/4-by-10-inch strip of balsa
• 1/8-by-1/16-by-10-inch strip of balsa
• 2-by-4-inch sheet of thin balsa
• 2-by-2-inch sheet of thin balsa
• 14 inches of 1/16-by-1/16-inch balsa
• Model glue (for wooden models)
• Modeling clay

Instructions

1. Start by gluing the large sheet of balsa (the wing) to the 1/8-by-1/4-by-10-inch strip (the fuselage) 1/3 of the way back from one end of the fuselage with the long-axes of the two pieces perpendicular to each other. Make sure that an equal amount of wing extends to either side of the strip. The end of the fuselage closest to the wing is the front of the model airplane.

2. Glue the 1/8-by-1/16-inch strip to the top of the leading edge of the wing with the 1/8-inch side down. This will help to stiffen the wing so that it won't break if it has to endure a hard landing. Glue 3-inch strips of the 1/16-by-1/16-inch balsa wood to the inside corners where the wing meets the fuselage. This will brace the wing and attach it more firmly to the fuselage.

3. Glue the 2-by-4-inch sheet of balsa to the top of the end of the fuselage with its long-axis parallel to that of the wings. Use 2-inch strips to secure it to the fuselage just as you did with the wing. This is the horizontal stabilizer of the model plane and will keep the plane flying level.

4. Glue an edge of the 2-by-2-inch sheet of balsa to the top center of the horizontal stabilizer so that it points edge-on toward the front of the plane. Glue two more 2-inch pieces of 1/16-by-1/16-inch balsa to brace it in place atop the horizontal stabilizer.

5. Attach a ball of modeling clay about the size of a marble to the front of the plane to balance it for flight.

6. To fly your plane, stand in a place without too many things that the plane could run into and break (a lawn is a good spot) and wait for a moment without a lot of wind. Launch the plane gently forwards with your hand. If the plane dives down when released, remove clay from the ball on the nose. If the plane veers sharply upwards then add clay.

Tips & Warnings

• If the plane flies to one side or the other when launched, or if adding or removing clay fails to fully correct any undesired flight characteristics, then you can glue small flaps made of card-stock to the horizontal and vertical stabilizer. Bend these flaps in the direction opposite of the way the plane turns to get it to fly straight.

References

• A Little Balsa Glider with Good Yield
• Oracle Thinkquest: Design Your Own Glider