Carefully trim the flash from around the edges of parts you have pushed out. This will make them look cleaner and fit together better.
Don’t worry if you accidentally tear the paper or cut the wrong thing. In most cases you can patch up the cut from the inside with a small scrap of paper. Butt the two edges together, and glue the patch behind it, or between two parts. If the patch is small, it won’t affect the balance.
Using a toothpick to spread the glue
Use a toothpick to spread a drop of glue evenly over the whole surface to be glued. Very little is needed; in fact, a transparent film sticks much better than a thick layer. A little glue will make strong, clean joints. Too much glue will warp the paper and ooze out at the edges, and make your plane look messy and grimy. Messy, warped planes don’t fly very well. I recommend that you practice with scraps of paper before gluing actual parts.
Stapling layers of paper
Hold the layers of paper tightly when stapling, and use the marks as guides. But don’t push too hard or too suddenly when stapling, or the staple will bend. Just depress with the usual force and the staple will punch right through all the paper.
Bending small part
Use a toothpick to help bend small parts like the spinners. Tweezers are great for holding smallish parts and firmly pressing glue tabs together.
Gluing the fuselage pieces
Most of the noses and cylindrical parts use a separate glue flap, which is glued in place half at a time. After the first half has set a bit, but still bends, spread glue on the remaining portion, and close the cylinder with the edges butting together exactly. Reshape the curve before it dries.
When gluing together the fuselage, whether round or triangular, align the sides carefully to avoid twisting. Test the fit before actually gluing it. And after gluing, check again by looking at the part from behind. If it is twisted, carefully pry apart the seam and reglue it.
Tips for applying glue (1)
Make a thin ribbon of glue by applying a bead to the seam.
Spread it with your finger or a toothpick. Be sure to clean your fingers right away!
The finished plane will look much nicer if you wipe away excess glue. A scrap of paper works well.
Tips for applying glue (2)
For parts without glue tabs, put a thin bead of glue around the inside edge, and hold them in place gently until the glue grips.
Adjusting and Flying Your Planes
Your plane won’t fly well if the wings are warped or twisted. You can check the wing alignment by holding the model at arm’s length and examining it from the front and back.
Camber and warping
Add camber (a gentle arching of the wings that aids flight) and fix warping by gently twisting the paper in the wings and tail with your fingers. Tweak a tiny bit at a time until everything is straight.
Adjusting the dihedral
The upturn of the wings is called dihedral. It helps keep the plane level, because lift pulls at right angles to each wing, and when the plane banks, the lift created by the level wing increases, and straightens the whole plane until the lift is equal again.
If the plane turns to one side or the other, adjust it until it flies straight as in pattern 2.
Fix a left turn by slightly bending the rear edge of the left wing down, the rear edge of the right wing up, and the rudder right.
Just right!
Fix a right turn by slightly bending the rear edge of the right wing down, the rear edge of the left wing up, and the rudder left.
Test flying the plane
Test fly the airplane gently at first, onto a carpet or bed or dry lawn. Toss the plane straight forward firmly and watch how it flies. If it stalls (B) or dives (C), adjust it and test fly again, until it glides gently like pattern A.
Just right!
Fix a dive by bending the rear of the stabilizer up slightly.
Fix a stall by bending the rear of the stabilizer down slightly.
Hand-Launching Your Planes
Once you have test flown your airplanes indoors, try taking them to the park and flying them outside. You should wait for a calm, dry day, and look for a grassy area, as large and obstacle-free a park as you can find. Be sure you are permitted to fly there! Start by hand-launching your planes before trying out the catapult. Here is how to do it.
Check the wind direction
The planes will drift downwind as they circle, and the longer they fly, the farther they will go. So always start your flights at the upwind side of the field, and return there each time before flying again. Launch your plane into the wind and it will climb much better. But if the wind is too strong or too gusty, it’s better to call it a day than risk losing the plane.
Holding the plane
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