Wooden models - Part I - aircraft modelling basics

The plastic construction kit is now well established as the most popular method of making scale models as it provides the raw material from which even the most impecunious enthusiast can produce a reasonable replica of an aircraft of his choice. The dedicated modeller uses the plastic kit as a means to an end rather than an end in itself, and considerable skill is required to turn what is basically a mass-produced item into a near-perfect and true to scale model. During the hey-day of the wooden model, or to give it the term it was most commonly known by, the solid model, this in itself was used as the stepping stone from which many splendid collections originated.

The skill of the modeller concerned was an important criteria, as carving the roughly shaped parts provided was not easy and the end result was very depen-dent on the individual concerned. With practice a model that equalled today's injection moulded kits could be produced, but such a high standard was usually beyond the limits of most who took up the hobby. Nonetheless, solid aircraft modelling was a popular hobby that flourished until the more modern style of kit pushed it into the background. In many ways there is little difference between the wooden kit and its modern plastic counterpart, for although the latter, due to its pre-formed shape. removes a great deal of the hit-and-miss of carving, it still leaves considerable scope for the true modeller. There is a vast difference between assembling the components provided then painting them in the colours recommended by the manufacturer, to judging each part on its merits, making alterations to improve the fit and appearance, adding extra detail not provided in the kit, then researching the correct colours and markings of the model chosen. So, although the plastic kit does take a lot of the initial hard work out of model making, it still provides a challenge to those who are prepared to treat it as a set of parts that still need a lot of work done to them.
Modellers who take this view will often want to carry out drastic changes to a kit to produce a different variant of the model provided, or even use parts of the plastic kit to produce other aircraft that are unlikely to be featured in manufacturers' ranges. Quite often it is necessary to make new components to make conversions from plastic kits and as wood is one of the most readily available materials it is well-worth spending some time practising working with it. Although you may not intend to combine wooden and plastic parts, if you want to mould your own components from plastic card, a master will be essential, so here again the carving of a wooden shape will become a prerequisite. In some cases a model that spurs your enthusiasm or is an essential part of a collection, might have to be completely scratch-built and if you do not want to try the methods described in a later chapter, a complete wooden model might provide the answer.

Unless you have some experience of working with the various types of wood that are most suitable for solid scale modelling, it is advisable to obtain several off-cuts and get the feel of the material by carving it to various shapes. cles, ovals, cones, and triangles are useful cross-sections to attempt at the beginning, and when these have been successfully achieved, take another step by combining one or two different shapes on the same block of wood. These early efforts do not require any prior plan other than one formulated in your mind, they are simply a method to enable you to get the feel of the material and the tools before you try an accurate reproduction of a fuselage or set of wings.

Obechi or close grained pine are ideal woods to use, but balsa, which is more readily available and is much easier to work with — in a modelling sense — will probably be the choice of most modellers whether or not their intention is to produce a complete model, a mould for plastic card, or a component for use with a plastic kit. Balsa can be obtained in a variety of sizes at most of the larger hobby shops especially those which specialise in flying models. It is usually stocked in block as well as sheet form and both types have their uses as far as the solid modeller is concerned. For the initial trial run, a pack of balsa comprising blocks and sheets can be purchased for a nominal sum and this is more than adequate for experimentation purposes. However, when it comes to the actual model it is better to be a little more selective and look for wood with fairly close grain and a good hard texture.
Having decided on the model you wish to construct a set of accurate plans are a must. These must contain drawings showing the cross-sections of the fuselage, wings, tailplanes and other components, as well as outlines of the major assemblies. The Aeromodeller Plans Service have a considerable number from which to choose and these are probably the most accurate to be found anywhere in the world. Other specialist aviation magazines and newspapers publish plans from time to time, but these are not always to a recognised scale, although in the majority of cases cross-sections and the particular scale to which they have been drawn is shown. If a plan of this type is the only one available it need not mean an end to the project, for although your skill in enlarging the drawing to the scale you want might not be sufficient to get you a job as a design draughtsman, it should be possible, with the aid of instruments that can be found in most schoolboys' satchels, to provide a drawing from which you can work.

The easiest way to do this is to place a sheet of tracing paper over the plan and draw a series of squares each side being to the scale shown on the plan. If, for example, the plan scale shows that every 1/2 inch is equal to 20 feet, draw 1/2 inch squares on the tracing paper. On a separate piece of paper draw a similar grid but this time use larger squares, say one inch, but draw the same number as you did on the tracing paper, so in this example the tracing paper over the drawing has five 1/2 inch squares, while the separate sheet has five one inch squares. It is now a question of transferring the lines of the aircraft drawing from each 1/2 inch square to each one inch square, and you | will then end up with a drawing that is 1 inch = 20 feet, in other words twice the size of the original. It is not difficult to make simple but working drawings to any scale using this technique if the grid on the drawing you are preparing is drawn to represent the scale you want the finished model to be; if it is 1:72 use a grid in which I inch = 6 feet, or in 1:48, 1 inch = 4 feet, but you must remember to relate these squares to the scale shown on the original drawing which determines the size of the grid on your tracing overlay.