BMFA Dart

Ok, don't laugh I know it is no major build but it was my first time building something properly with balsa wood, so was rather exciting and fun!
So here is prolly the smallest build thread in history haha!

First, with a little help from little people (my niece and nephew) we laid out all the equipment . The BMFA frog comes with all the balsa strips needed, paper covering in the form of outlines on paper, prop and rubber band. All we had to provide was the glue, cellotape, pins and a craft knife. Jobs a good un!

Not having made the work board yet we had to settle for a piece of cardboard, as the instructions suggest.




Placing the printed side down on the board we taped it carefully



Then after cutting a small section of the paper denoting the fusalage (towards the rudder) we glued the balsa fusalge onto the plan, pinning it into place.

Next we carefully cut two balsa strips to form the rudder and glued the strips to the plan as well as to the fusalage then pinned it down Easypeasy lemon squeezy-




cutting into the plan along the edges we folded over the paper flap at the top of the rudder- it wouldnt stick at first and took a few goes but we got there in the end!

Next we worked on the wing frame, cutting the pieces to fit perfectly we framed the wing and glued each joint to each other. Note to self, learn to read instructions- it said dont glue to the plan yet....ermmm ooopsie ! Thankfully it worked out ok haha!

So far so good, no little fingers glued to the board (tempting though it was ) AND no glueing of fingers to teeth we progressed to the horizontal tail in the same way as the wings leaving us with a nice pinned model

Sarah
Looks pretty good but doesn't the Dart wing have dihedral?
Or is there a way it is added later?

At this point would like to point out that someone, naming no names (but she is 3 years old and a little minx!) had decided to disappear- taking with her, unbeknown to us lol, a piece of balsa which was then found snapped in half and shoved into the door as a make shift key! this meant that we had to bodge a bit of the build with the wing, but so far so good it hasnt fallen apart and seems to have some strength at the moment! So after some cursing, Zach (my 7 year old nephew) and I decided to break for a cuppa and some home made ginger biscuits and above minx was tied sat in front of sooty and sweep on the tv so we could continue unhindered

After cutting the wing and tail out following the wood along the plan we glued the paper flaps as we did with the rudder then after adding the propellor onto the fusalage we glued the wings to the fusalage, pinning it in place. The leading edge was placed 32mm from the front of the fusalage as instructed in the plans





and before the glue dried completely we turned it over and pinned it to the board to form a dihedral angle.





We made sure this was completely square and added more glue to strengthen the joints. This was left to dry.

At this points the kids went home and Auntie Sarah hit the baileys- hence no more pictures haha! oopsie.


All that was left to do was to the glue and pin the horizontal stabilllizer to the rear part, remove the pins then putting a pin at a slant at the front end of the tail so the rubber band can be linked around it.

Will continue and get another picture tomorrow..... if it is a breeze less day will give it another go outside.

Quorneng wrote: Sarah
Looks pretty good but doesn't the Dart wing have dihedral?
Or is there a way it is added later?

ah ha! see above hehe

Very nice Sarah, you are on a slippery slope now, you will soon be surrounded by curly balsa shavings, part built models and a kit sat on your wardrobe ' as your next build' ( don't ask how I know!! )

What was sheer luxury, the type of razor blade with a folded metal back opposite the sharp edge. Nope, it did not stop the red stuff leaking. Keep it going Sarah

yup, well and truely hooked- much more fun than sticking bits of an artf together- though I WILL get round to finishing that one soon I promise (blue )

Got a cricket and a frog to do next although at this rate i may end up with a ton of models in my bedroom that never get flown

Careful Sarah, frogs eat crickets.

Old Fart wrote: Careful Sarah, frogs eat crickets.

I've a snake under the stairs would eat both of them

Very impressed as usual you describe the build very well Sarah congratulations

The Beard wrote: Very impressed as usual you describe the build very well Sarah congratulations

It's called following the instructions, something you men.......ahem, cough, splutter.........

first model i tried to make, was from a square lump of balsa i got from a jumble sale. i was going to carve a spitfire. i was seven years old,used a penknife my dad kept honed for mum to peel spuds with. all i made was a five in scar that i carry to this day my dad took me to the doctor on the crossbar of his bike. the doc taped me up and did'nt stitch the cut, so could'nt boast about it at school and get out of any leesons