JAGRAF/X by Ron & Heather Jagodinski June 7, 2014 We use TIGHTBOND brand white glue or TIGHTBOND cut with approximately 40 per cent water on all of our boat models. Just about any white paper glue is OK as long as it dries slow. DON"T use anything like HOT GLUE [out of a gun] or GORILLA GLUE. Both of those glues have weight problems after they dry and we're dealing with a little airplane here. Your final weight should be just below a half an American ounce; or 13 or 14 grams.
All of those doublers in the
fuselage will give the F4 a lot of longitudinal support
for plenty of crashes. I thought of placing a bamboo
bar-b-q stick running the length of the plane but I didn't want the
little ones potentially hurt by something hard and sharp within the
aircraft. Still was surprised how rigid the structure
turned out to be. Two biggest stress points are the
nose and the wing-body joint. Better flight characteristics can
probably be easily achieved if one induces pitch control by adding a
pin to the horizontal stab to provide normal movement. Hinge
point would about in the middle of the control surface for scale
appearance if memory serves.
One thing that might help is
to spray each completed plane with Art Fixative lightly.
That will give the glider a little more life as far as the ink
being smudged by little fingers goes. I've got the KEYNOTE files
for each object in the design. Can convert these to PowerPoint
for others if the 314 folks wish to edit their own F4 image and
aircraft detail. This project works out to be a design that can
be used just as well on the desk or table top as the air. I used
to work in ECM (ALQ-76, ALQ-99) and it's fun to hear someone say that
they think they are looking at a photograph or painting of a real F4
in action. "Sorry, its just a paper airplane..."
or...!!
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