Childhood dream - foam plane

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:46

The highlight of any interior will be a foam plane. A well-made model and fixed under the ceiling looks very impressive and rather extraordinary. Assembling a high-quality aircraft is a very laborious process, and we will tell you how to do everything without mistakes in this article.

Advantages of Styrofoam Models

Styrofoam can imitate materials such as metal, plaster or plastic. Visually finished foam models of aircraft will not differ in any way from them. In addition, the ease of manufacturing according to the customer's layout and the ability to paint in any color allows you to create very realistic models. Individual decorative elements made of foam plastic have the following advantages:

1) Lightweight - allows you to easily not only transport large structures, but also fix them under the ceiling.

2) Durability - if most materials crack after falls or impacts, then the foam, on the contrary, is more resistant to any kind of impact. Item in need of repaircan be glued quickly.

3) Safety - This material is environmentally friendly and completely safe for children, does not cause allergies and does not absorb dust.

Simple constructions

Beginners in aeromodelling are advised to build a glider first. It may differ from others in such parameters as weight, dimensions, proportions and wing technology. For example, a model with a wingspan of 400 mm and a weight of 26 grams is considered a throwable glider, and with the right throw is able to stay in the air for about 30 seconds. If you manage to build such a model and surpass the result, then you can safely go to the competition. A glider, of course, is not a foam plastic aircraft, but to create an ideal model, you will need to calculate the optimal mass, shape and area of \u200b\u200bthe bearing surfaces already at the design stage. Such training will allow you to approach serious and large models already more prepared. The work begins with drawing full size drawings, making templates for the keel, fuselage, stabilizer and, of course, selecting materials.

Make recommendations

Any model begins its birth with the manufacture of a wing, stabilizer and keel. After marking, these elements can be carefully cut out with a scalpel and profiling can begin. From the line of maximum thickness, it is better to remove most of it with a sharp knife. Details can be summed up with sandpaper of different grain sizes. ATsome designs can be made to reinforce the wing with a match. In any case, be careful when making a template. The wrong template can negate all subsequent work. A ready-made model of an airplane made of foam plastic is balanced with their own hands, distortions are eliminated, etc. Understanding further.

Diy foam plane

With the help of various simulators, mathematical modeling of both the aircraft itself and its individual parts should be carried out. Or you can find ready-made projects on the Internet, you just have to print them. This is the most critical step and if any errors occur here, your foam plane may never fly.

Next, you should work a little on the manufacturing technology itself. The focus here is on cutting the foam. As practice shows, the most accurate cut can be made using a tungsten or nichrome wire heated with a current of 1.5 A, having built something like a jigsaw. In transverse cutting, refractory plates or templates made of thin aluminum are applied to the ends of the material. This technology is indispensable in the manufacture of a complex wing, variable profile and any curved parts. When it is worked out, you can immediately start cutting out parts according to the drawings transferred to the foam.

In the manufacture of the fuselage and wings, it is necessary to strictly observe the dimensions. Any excesses or irregularities can be finished with sandpaper, but the disadvantage will have to be glued, which is undesirable. If inside your planeparts will be located, then it is necessary to take care of its internal sizing at the stage of assembling the fuselage.

Slim construction

If you produce it already on a finished model, then in some places it will be very problematic to treat the surface with adhesive tape. Therefore, it is recommended to do this on separate parts, and carefully trim after the joints. Ideally, there should not be a “bare” speck of foam, you should imagine the entire model as if it were in a protective cocoon. The only exception is the fuselage. Regardless of the color, the first layers must be glued with transparent tape, and then in accordance with the desired color.

Heat treatment

Ready after tightening, the foam plane is stretched and smoothed with a regular iron. The regulator on it must be placed between synthetics and wool. Next, smooth out the close-fitting, not missing a single detail over the entire area. Watch the temperature carefully, it's better to make it a little less than burn a hole. It is also necessary to take into account the fact that when tensioned, those seams that were not overlapping will disperse. Be especially careful when tightening the steering slots so that after the heat treatment is completed, they work in both directions.

For many, it remains a childhood dream to do aeromodelling. To date, a large number of ready-made models or designers are offered, thanks to which you can assemble aircraft fromfoam. You can easily find a photo of the desired airship, including in our article. It's time to make your dream come true!