Many people interested in building scale models just do not know where to start their project,today we have more plans available than ever before and the world is your oyster,if you have a favourite model that there is no kit available then dont worry because with a little careful planning that dream machine can become a possibility,with a little guidance and patience the task can be simplified greatly.

We will start by looking at a basic three view drawing of a famous aeroplane,here is a superb plan for the original Wright biplane,many thousands of models have been built over the years for this subject and I bet that every one was built totally different in the builders approach to his subject,at first the subject looks daunting but when broken down into manageable sections it becomes much easier,anyway lets take a look at the plan first-

So take a careful look and begin by half closing your eyes,this has the effect of cutting out the tedious detail,not that we do not want to use that detail but much later,the main thing now is to think how we are going to tackle our subject,which materials to use,how to start construction,will the model be made to fly and if so what compromises will need to be made ? these are all questions to be satisfied by you,the model maker !

Well here she is,difficult to believe that once she was just a dream on a piece of paper,here you have a simplified small flying model of the Wright Flyer,just enough for the eye to take in,and above all enough detail to satisfy the purist,and yes she does fly ! and very well to,but we will go into that later right now we are concerned with the design and how to reproduce it as a model subject.

It is fair to say that a large proportion of this model consists of open structure,the full size used spruce and ash for its longerons,struts and wings,these were covered in a fabric material which was doped up taught to seal the structure and make it airtight,the wooden parts were beautifully varnished and the fittings were mostly hand made metal parts which were all bolted to the woodwork to hold the whole thing together,our model has balsa strips to reproduce the longerons and lightweight jap tissue to represent the fabric covering material,they just look the same in our little miniature and thats the secret to the success of the model.

This view shows to good effect the highly simplified fuselage longerons,the foreplane,struts made from barbecue spears and the basic cotton rigging,to attain the slightly bleached effect of the original fabric the tissue was tinted with ordinary tea ! yes a coat of tea makes an ideal antique effect,just brew up,allow to cool and paint onto the tissue.

The very basic seat and engine detail are just made from scrap balsa and then clear doped to seal them,the lower longerons are made from strips of basswood to give a bit of spring to the structure,as can be seen the foreplanes take the brunt of the force should they be struck but are deceptively strong.

As can be seen here the wings have a convex undercamber to them,the covering needs to be stuck down before it is doped up,to do this I used one of those Pritstick glue pens,by gently blowing on the tissue after applying the adhesive the tissue is teased into place two rib bays at a time,working slowly and patiently you get the desired results,the rigging is thin cotton applied with tiny blobs of cynoacrylate adhesive,surprising how much extra strength this gives.

Now here is a picture that shows two models of the same aeroplane built in two entirely different ways,the end results are the same in that we have two practical flying models,one much simpler than the other

So you get the idea ? build simply and dont overload the subject,just like a painting let the eyes fill in the gaps but the overall effect is the most important part of the end product.

Now we can take a look at some more model subjects to see how they can be tackled in detail,bearing in mind the need to retain practicality and combine the feel of the subject,lets do a walkround of some models-

Here is the bare bones for a Ryan NYP,the aeroplane that Lindbergh flew the Atlantic in single handed,this machine has been a firm favourite with me for years and I have built several different versions over that time,I have to be honest and say tjhat every one has been a real headache to get to fly properly,the problem is the small fin and the distinct lack of any dihedral,here I have added some dihedral but after flight tests the fin had to be enlarged considerably to aid stability,another fix could possibly be to have faired in between the struts with clear sheet.

Note how the tail surfaces are made in two pieces and hinged with soft metal ( Guinness cans are ideal material ) hic..! and see how strong the undercarriage is made up,you need to watch the weight as the wire parts weigh in very heavy.

I can still improve on this model next time round,its all about compromise,then experiment and pick the best points for your next project.

Here is the Ryan NYP all covered and ready to go,although the radial engine looks great it is a lot of parasitic drag but we have to live with such things if we want the model to be scale.

This is the way that I like to make my tail surfaces,first a basic planform is cut from one thirty second sheet balsa,then strips of similar thickness balsa are glued chordwise with a thicker leading edge spar,once dry the whole lot is carefully sanded to airfoil shape,no need to put lightening holes into the structure as it will only weaken a very strong anti warp structure.

Wings are made as light and strong as possible,wingtips are best made from two laminations of balsa strip which is wound damp around a thick card former,when dry glue together with thinned PVA glue,use gussets where the wings meet the fuselage,always leave the structure overnight on the building board so there will be less chance of any warps setting in,build as warp free as possible.

Here is a view of how those wingtips are made up,for the former here I have used balsa but anything will do such as foamboard or thick box card.

Any amount of scale detail can be made from balsa block,pick the nice soft material that is nice and light,for this I use those bargain balsa packs which provides good balsa for this type of model.

Traditional fuselage structure made on a simple keel,the half formers are added on one side when pinned down to the plan,then the stringers are added one side,the half keel is lifted from the plan and the other side is completed in the same way,the wing attachment stubs will be faired in later with scrap balsa.

Here the spatted undercarriage has been added,note the gap at the rear to allow for a little movement,unlike the full size machine which springs downwards the action is cantilever on our models.

Partly covered wings on the Curtiss Seagull,once the struts are added the rest of the covering can take place,the wing struts are offered through the tissue covering and glued into place,this system works very well,always work slowly and neatly,then clear your bench ready for the next stage.

Looking good as the wings have been assembled,note the canopy which was built up from scrap clear sheet from christmas toiletries boxes,hoard such material for your model building,it costs nothing ! trim around the canopy is just Bond writing paper glued with thinned PVA adhesive.

Here is the way to build in stability with your models,incorporate some washout into the wingtips,here you can see the ailerons which are made to move for trimming purposes,the idea is to make the root stall before the wingtip does thus avoiding the dreaded wingtip drop and stall in.

All of my wing ribs are made in this way,pin together enough balsa blanks together,on the outside are plywood pattern ribs,now take the whole lot and sand the wood to shape,in the case of tapered ribs as here you automatically get the correct shapes ready plotted for you,when you split the rib blanks you are rewarded with a nice clean set of ribs,you can never attain this accuracy or finish with singly cut ribs.

This is how to make cockpit canopies,firstly make a pattern from block balsa,then cut the hole in the ply female half slightly oversize,staple a sheet of clear plastic sheet ( cosmetic boxes again ) over the hole and hold it several inches over a gas flame or electric fire,when the plastic begins to soften plunge the former into the hole,a little pracise makes perfect and you are rewarded with nice clean canopies,give it a try.

Here we have a simple knock off wing structure-small magnets glued with cyno into the wood,this is the finest knock off structure that I have yet to find,only problem is that Maplins have stopped stocking these wonderful magents,if anyone knows a source then I would like to know please ?

Miniature radio is mounted with four small screws,in this case the radio is on a module with servos,receiver,speed controller etc all fixed to a balsa board,he idea was to change from model to model with standard rails in each model.

Home designed plan for a model of the Lippisch P-10 with simplified structure,at the rear is the prop blank all ready for carving.

Simple all sheet tail structures that do not warp are made like this,note the let in cross grained balsa inserts,simple bandage hinges work fine on small models.

Lightweight but simple structure is the key to success,model is all ready for covering with lightweight Jap tissue which is shrunk up with thinned PVA adhesive.

Gloster Gladiator under construction,note the engine detail achieved with balsa dowel that has been run through a engineers die,then cut in half to represent the engine cylinders.

More 'Wrinklies' awaiting retirement into the museum,a Lockheed Saturn airliner,Albatross D.V and a Howard Hughes Racer behind,the little blue and yellow aeroplane is the Phantom Mite a replica made of my first control line model !

The parts laid out all ready for assembly,the fuselage and engine nacelles are made from Jelutong and the wings and tail from Basswood,note the card templates at the back for constant checking of the shapes.

Note how the fuselage sides have been angled and the cockpit area carefully shaped,treat each separate part with care moving onto the next for attention.