The model airplane hobby has gone through many changes over the years. With the advances in materials used to build models the hobby has come a long way.
From as far back as World War I and up through the 50s modelers built planes from wood the light balsa wood and covered them with tissue paper. The tissue paper would be painted with airplane dope that would dry and shrink some and tighten up on wings and make it strong. Model aircraft construction during these early years was very time consuming and required some very intricate work. This type a construction kind of resembled of the real full size planes.
Some modelers from this area would build flying model airplanes from scratch. Kits were available supplying all the balsa wood and the plans for constructing the model. Others would just acquire model plans and build completely from scratch. Both methods of construction were extremely labor intensive. Many of these planes were flying models so they were aerodynamic and balanced just like the real thing.
Modelers would build flying and non-flying models that were scaled down versions of the real aircraft. Still other modelers would build both flying and static models of imaginary aircraft. There were almost no limits in size or design. Some of the larger models were glider airplanes in the early days. Contests were held to determine which would stay aloft the longest.
Static models or the non-flying types had many uses. Built to exact scale and painted to detail the original. Some static models were built to test in wind tunnels to improve the aerodynamics for the purpose of aiding in design of the real size aircraft.
The ability to buy models that are pre-built and painted is an option that many collectors prefer. Aside from collectors the pre-built airplane or airline models are used for promotional use. From time past the airlines would order very large promotional models to be used in the popular travel agencies.
The flying model aircraft category covers quite a range of types of aircraft. The early flying models were gliders, hand launched free-flight and the radio control versions came much later.
Aero-modeling is the term used to describe the flying models built and flown by modelers. The flying models fit into three different groups.
The free-flight or F/F which require no external control from the ground, which have been with us long before the Wright Brothers ever flew their first real plane the Wright-flyer.
The next category C/L control line model airplanes use control lines. This type of flying is around in a circle.
From as far back as World War I and up through the 50s modelers built planes from wood the light balsa wood and covered them with tissue paper. The tissue paper would be painted with airplane dope that would dry and shrink some and tighten up on wings and make it strong. Model aircraft construction during these early years was very time consuming and required some very intricate work. This type a construction kind of resembled of the real full size planes.
Some modelers from this area would build flying model airplanes from scratch. Kits were available supplying all the balsa wood and the plans for constructing the model. Others would just acquire model plans and build completely from scratch. Both methods of construction were extremely labor intensive. Many of these planes were flying models so they were aerodynamic and balanced just like the real thing.
Modelers would build flying and non-flying models that were scaled down versions of the real aircraft. Still other modelers would build both flying and static models of imaginary aircraft. There were almost no limits in size or design. Some of the larger models were glider airplanes in the early days. Contests were held to determine which would stay aloft the longest.
Static models or the non-flying types had many uses. Built to exact scale and painted to detail the original. Some static models were built to test in wind tunnels to improve the aerodynamics for the purpose of aiding in design of the real size aircraft.
The ability to buy models that are pre-built and painted is an option that many collectors prefer. Aside from collectors the pre-built airplane or airline models are used for promotional use. From time past the airlines would order very large promotional models to be used in the popular travel agencies.
The flying model aircraft category covers quite a range of types of aircraft. The early flying models were gliders, hand launched free-flight and the radio control versions came much later.
Aero-modeling is the term used to describe the flying models built and flown by modelers. The flying models fit into three different groups.
The free-flight or F/F which require no external control from the ground, which have been with us long before the Wright Brothers ever flew their first real plane the Wright-flyer.
The next category C/L control line model airplanes use control lines. This type of flying is around in a circle.
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