How to Build Model Planes

Anyone who is looking for a fun but inexpensive hobby will want to learn how to build model planes. This hobby will inspire your imagination as you work to give your model planes their own unique features. Pilots and aircraft enthusiasts will also like to build model planes because it will keep them entertained and give them a sense of accomplishment too.

Some of the things that you will need to have in order to build model planes include:

• A glue together airplane kit of your choice from either a hobby store or Ebay.com
• Airplane glue
• Some flat wooden toothpicks
• Rubber bands
• An old newspaper
• Filler putty that is used for plastic models
• Some small paint brushes of different sizes
• A pair of tweezers
• An X-acto knife or a modeling knife
• Both fine and medium sandpaper
• Model airplane paint, both the spray and brush type since they will be used for different purposes
• A hobby knife
• Some paint and paint brushes

Now that you have all of your supplies gathered together, you are ready to build model planes. Start by reading the instructions completely before you start working on your model planes. You may need to make some choices in advance. For instance, you may have to decide whether you want the landing gear is retracted or extended whenever your final model is completed. These decisions will affect the order in which you assemble certain parts.

Be patient. You won't complete your model planes in just one sitting. It should take days, weeks or months to do depending upon the complexity.

Decide now whether you will paint your plane. This can really make it look more realistic. Some parts, such as the internal pieces, will need to be painted before your model plane is completely assembled. When using spray paint, lay your model planes on newspaper and use slow, even sweeps. To paint the really small pieces on model planes, use tweezers to hold them. It is also important to make sure that all putty or glue is dry before you paint those pieces.

Carefully separate the plastic parts from the plastic frames that they are attached to. Use an X-acto knife to make this easier to do. Remove these parts one by one as you need them so that you don't lose them. These pieces should be either numbered or lettered on the frame, these are important so use care when separating things.

Choose a well-ventilated work area that is away from anyone who could possibly knock something over.

Follow the instructions on how to build model planes carefully. They are in this order for a reason.

Apply glue with a flat wooden toothpick. Use glue sparingly. All you need is a thin coat or you will be creating a blob on your model whenever it is dry. Once you add glue, lay the piece aside and allow it to thoroughly dry before working with it again. You may need to use rubber bands to hold some pieces of the model planes together as they dry.

When the glue dries, look at the piece carefully to see if there are any uneven areas, rough spots or gaps. Use sandpaper to get rid of any rough spots and putty filler to fill in any gaps or cracks. Give the putty enough time to dry before you work with it more. Once it is dry you may need to sand it a little to make sure that your model planes are completely smooth.

There are some things that you will need to keep in mind whenever you are building your model planes. These things include:

• You should never use super glue instead of airplane glue since it is easier to get airplane glue off of your skin.
• This really isn't an appropriate activity for small children since glue and paint must be used. Instead, you should opt for snap together model planes if you want to do this activity with children.