A childhood dream - a foam plastic plane

The highlight of any interior will be an airplane made of foam plastic. Well-made model and fixed under the ceiling looks very impressive and quite extraordinary. Building a quality lethal device is a very laborious process, and how to make it all without errors, we'll tell you in this article.

Advantages of models from foam plastic

With the help of foam it is possible to simulate materials such as metal, gypsum or plastic. Visually ready models of aircraft from foam plastic will not differ from them in any way. In addition, the ease of manufacturing on the layout of the customer and the ability to paint in any color, allows you to create very realistic models. Made of foam plastic individual decorative elements have the following advantages:

1) Ease - allows you to easily transport large structures, but also to fix them under the ceiling.

2) Strength - if most of the materials after the falls or shocks crack, then the foam is the opposite, more resistant to any kind of influences. The repair element can be quickly glued.

3) Safety - this material has no negative consequences for the environment, it is also completely safe for children, does not cause allergies and does not absorb dust.

The simplest constructions

Beginners in the aeromodelling should first collect the glider. It can differ from others in such parameters as mass, dimensions, proportions and technology of creating the wing. For example, a model with a wingspan of 400 mm and a weight of 26 grams is considered a throwing 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, you can safely go to the competition. The glider, of course, is not a foam plastic plane, but to create the ideal model you will need to calculate the optimum mass, shape and area of the bearing surfaces already at the design stage. Such training will allow already more prepared to approach serious and large models. Work begins with the construction of drawings in full size, the production of keel templates, fuselage, stabilizer and, of course, the selection of materials.

Recommendations for manufacturing

Any model begins its birth with the manufacture of a wing, stabilizer and keel. After marking these elements can be carefully cut with a scalpel and begin profiling. From the line of maximum thickness, the best part is to remove with a sharp knife. The parts can be supplied with a different grain of sand. In some designs, you can make the wing reinforcement with a match. In any case, be careful when making the template. An invalid template can negate all subsequent work. Already finished model of the aircraft made of foam plastic balances with their own hands, eliminates distortions, etc. We understand further.

Airplane made of foam plastic by own hands

With the help of various simulators, it is necessary to conduct mathematical modeling of both the aircraft itself and its individual parts. Or you can find ready-made projects on the Internet, you will only have to print them. This is the most crucial stage and if there are any mistakes, your plane from foam can never fly.

Next, you should work a little on the technology itself. The focus here is on cutting foam. As practice shows, the most accurate cut can be done with a tungsten or nichrome wire, heated by a current of 1.5 A, constructing a kind of a jig saw. In the case of cross cutting, refractory plates or templates 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 curvilinear parts. When working out, you can immediately begin to cut out the details of the drawings transferred to the foam plastic.

When manufacturing the fuselage and wings, it is necessary to strictly observe the dimensions. Any excess or roughness can be finished with a skin, here the defect has to be pasted, which is undesirable. If parts of your aircraft are located, it is necessary to take care of its internal sizing at the fuselage assembly stage.

Strapping of structure

If you produce it already on the finished model, then in some places it will be very problematic to treat the surface with scotch tape. Therefore, it is recommended to do this on separate parts, and carefully cut after the joints. Ideally, there should not be a "bare" spot of foam, you should represent the entire model as if it were in a protective cocoon. An exception can only be 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

Finished after the tight-fitting aircraft from the foam plastic pull and smooth with a conventional iron. The regulator on it should be put between synthetic and wool. Next, smooth the hood, not missing a single detail across the entire area. Keep a close eye on the temperature, it is better to make it a little less than to waste a hole. It is also necessary to take into account the fact that when pulling those seams that were not overlapped will disperse. It is especially necessary to be careful when tensioning the steering slots so that after the end of the heat treatment 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 available, thanks to which you will be able to collect airplanes from foam plastic in the shortest possible time. You can easily find the photo of the desired airship, including in our article. It's time to realize your dream!