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The Balsa Workbench
Helpful hints for building balsa RC airplanes, by Rob Reynolds
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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***
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
1: Simpleton 40 Fuselage Sides
2: Simpleton 40 Stabilizers
3: Simpleton 40 Firewall
4: Simpleton 40 Cabanes
5: Simpleton 40 Fuselage
6: Simpleton 40 More Fuselage
7: Simpleton 40 Completing the Fuselage
8: Simpleton 40 Wings
9: Simpleton 40 Control Surfaces
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
Home
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Kit instructions
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Simpleton 40 Biplane Instructions
Simpleton 40 Biplane Instructions
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