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The Balsa Workbench

Helpful hints for building balsa RC airplanes, by Rob Reynolds

The Balsa Workbench
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  • Building Techniques
    • Balsa
      • Customizing trailing edge balsa stock
      • Cutting Balsa Parts By Hand
        • Part I: Ribs
        • Part II: Fuselage
        • Part III: Other parts
      • Fitting the wing to the wing saddle
      • How to build a cowl from balsa blocks
      • How to build a straight fuselage without a jig
      • How to build a wing on a flat building board
      • How to build a wing on a wing jig
      • How to build two identical fuselage sides
      • How to edge-join balsa sheets
      • How to enlarge your rudder
      • How to sand aileron tips
      • How to shape the leading edge of a wing
      • Reinforcing the tail with triangle stock
      • Strengthening the center joint of the horizontal stabilizer
    • General building
      • Choosing your first building plan
      • Chuck Cunningham Floats
        • Chuck Cunningham floats part 1
        • Chuck Cunningham floats part 2
        • Chuck Cunningham floats part 3
        • Chuck Cunningham floats part 4
      • Fixing mistakes
      • Fuel Proofing
      • Home made landing gear blocks
      • How to build a tab and slot fuselage
      • How to complete a short kit
      • Make a paper dihedral template
      • Planning ahead
      • Shortcuts and helpful tips
      • What is a short kit?
    • Hardware
      • Building wire cabane struts
      • Building wire landing gear
      • How to install a bolt-on wing
      • How to install aileron servos in the wings
      • How to install aileron torque rods
      • Installing tube-type pushrods Part I
      • Installing Wooden Push Rods
  • Covering
    • A high visibility color scheme
    • Compatibility of finishing materials
    • How to apply iron-on film
      • Applying iron-on film, first things first
      • Applying iron-on film, Part 1
      • Applying iron-on film, Part 2
      • Applying iron-on film, Part 3
      • Applying iron-on film, Part 4: helpful hints
    • How to iron Monokote into tight spaces
  • Design and engineering
    • ***Engineering students: Start Here***
    • Calculating balsa density
    • Different types of landing gear
    • Extend Cox 049 run time with a remote tank
    • Flaps
    • Landing Gear Placement
    • Making changes to the printed plans
    • Overpowering, overloading, and overbuilding
    • Re-scaling a plan
    • The Ugly Stik airfoil
    • Use a plastic bag as a fuel tank
    • Using higher mathematics in RC
    • Why RC planes have down and right engine thrust
  • Engines and Radios
    • 72 MHz radios
    • Are my servos (or battery, or engine, or whatever) good enough?
    • Cleaning an old fuel tank
    • Engine Safety
    • Mixing your own glow fuel
    • USA model airplane frequencies
    • Uses for Common Engines
    • What’s so great about Glow Engines?
  • FAQ
  • Flying
    • Crashing
    • How to flight trim an airplane
    • How to set up a glow fuel jug
    • How to set your center of gravity
    • Is glow fuel too expensive?
    • Is my airplane cool enough?
    • Selecting the right propeller for a glow powered plane
    • Tips for new pilots
      • Part 1: trainer selection
      • Part 2: the most basic flying skills
      • Part 3: non-stunt flight maneuvers
    • Why big planes and small planes fly differently
  • Kit instructions
    • RCM Basic Bipe Kit Instructions
    • Simpleton 40 Biplane Instructions
      • 0: Simpleton 40 Introduction
      • 01: Simpleton 40 Fuselage Sides
      • 02: Simpleton 40 Stabilizers
      • 03: Simpleton 40 Firewall
      • 04: Simpleton 40 Cabanes
      • 05: Simpleton 40 Fuselage
      • 06: Simpleton 40 More Fuselage
      • 07: Simpleton 40 Completing the Fuselage
      • 08: Simpleton 40 Wings
      • 09: Simpleton 40 Control Surfaces
      • 10: Simpleton 40 Assembly and Setup
    • Stik 27 Introduction
      • 1. Stik 27 fuselage
      • 2. Stik 27 Wings
      • 3. Stik 27 everything else
  • Links
  • Send Rob an email
  • Tools and supplies
    • Buying hardware for scratch built planes
    • The Scratch Builder’s Basic Toolbox
    • Types of glue
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