When you build… tips from the past, pt. 1

In honor of yesterday’s (10/10/2013) Plans Build Webinar and Model Aviation’s October issue on scratch building, the museum presents some handy building tips, circa 1940.

The importance of sanding

When designing and building the model the main idea is to get a well-balanced plane with as little drag as possible. The generous use of sandpaper can take off bumps and rough spots which tend to cut down the average flight. Also, a little time spent in lining up a plane and seeing everything is as perfect as possible will save a lot of time and headaches later on, trying to figure out why it won’t fly properly. Another place where drag sneaks in unnoticed is in the incidence. The amount of drag caused by excessive incidence is usually enough to keep a top-notch model from showing its true flight characteristics.”
By: Dick Korda. “How to Break Records.” Air Trails, January 1940, pg. 33.

“When designing and building the model the main idea is to get a well-balanced plane with as little drag as possible.  The generous use of sandpaper can take off bumps and rough spots which tend to cut down the average flight.  Also, a little time spent in lining up a plane and seeing everything is as perfect as possible will save a lot of time and headaches later on, trying to figure out why it won’t fly properly.  Another place where drag sneaks in unnoticed is in the incidence.  The amount of drag caused by excessive incidence is usually enough to keep a top-notch model from showing its true flight characteristics.” – Dick Korda, January 1940.

Korda's bright red 1939 Wakefield Cup winning model hanging in the gallery.

Korda certainly knew what he was talking about, as he set a record winning the 1939 Wakefield Cup with a time of 43 minutes and 39 seconds. Here’s his winning model hanging in the gallery.  Source:  National Model Aviation Museum Collection, donated by Dick Korda.

Covering your plane

“We recommend covering the wing with Silkspan as it is light and strong. Cover the bottom of the wing first and be sure that the paper is glued to each rib in order to maintain the undercamber of the airfoil. The grain of the paper should run from tip to tip. Dampen the paper, one half at a time, and place on flat surface with weights until dry. Then do the same for the other half. Dope each half, one side at a time, and weight on flat surface while drying. Do not give the wings more than two coats of dope. This method of weighting the wings, while it takes longer, will insure a flat wing when you are finished. When the bottom of the wing is covered and doped, then cover and dope the top half in the same manner, except that you do not have to glue the papers to each rib.”
William Gibson and Francis Beeler. “The Arrow.” Air Trails, December 1940, pg. 43.

“We recommend covering the wing with Silkspan as it is light and strong.  Cover the bottom of the wing first and be sure that the paper is glued to each rib in order to maintain the undercamber of the airfoil. The grain of the paper should run from tip to tip.  Dampen the paper, one half at a time, and place on flat surface with weights until dry.  Then do the same for the other half.  Dope each half, one side at a time, and weight on flat surface while drying.  Do not give the wings more than two coats of dope.  This method of weighting the wings, while it takes longer, will insure a flat wing when you are finished.  When the bottom of the wing is covered and doped, then cover and dope the top half in the same manner, except that you do not have to glue the papers to each rib.”  William Gibson and Francis Beeler, December 1940.

In what was most likely a coincidence (ha!) an ad for Silkspan just happened to appear on the same page.

Aldine Paper Co. of New York tells you to demand silkspan!
Source: Aldine Paper Co. Silkspan ad. Air Trails, December 1940, pg. 43.

Look for more tips from the past each Friday this month.  Do you have a tried and true building tip to share?  Share it in the comments, or the museum’s Facebook.

p.s.  Want to read one of the full articles mentioned above?  Order an article reprint!

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