The plane should be cut from a sheet of aluminum, preferably. Fasten this securely to the front of your motor base with nails, or tying in position. The wires of the hooks holding the ends of the motors may be passed through the holes cut to the back of the rear edge of the plane and bent over. Of course it is very simple to anchor double motors, or even multiple motors, in this way.
One of the novelties in plane construction is a narrow wing with ends brought well back. It may be built either flat or flexed, and promises to afford unusual stability. The form is very popular among model builders in England, where it is made very narrow, its depth often equaling its width.
In many of the English models, these planes are placed far forward and raised well above the main stability plane. They are built with the entering edge either straight or slightly curved. Such front planes behave especially well in the open air and even against a considerable wind pressure.
There is still considerable difference of opinion as to the best material for covering planes. Several specially prepared aeroplane cloths have been placed upon the market which are guaranteed to be practically airproof. The cloth is rather heavy, however, and better suited for large machines. A thin silk answers the purpose perhaps as well as anything.
Some model builders select the thinnest possible silk and then render it airproof by varnishing or covering with a thin solution of wax or paraffin. When this is neatly done, the planes are very taut and shipshape. Several preparations are offered for sale for coating planes, which are excellent.
In the search for the lightest possible covering, some builders have gone a little further and use a very thin paper known as bamboo paper. Even the thinnest paper will be found as impervious to air as a rather heavy cloth. Its weight is practically nothing, even for a large plane. It requires no varnishing or preparation, although it is sometimes painted to render it more rigid.
There is, of course, a very obvious objection to paper that it is easily punctured, but on the other hand, such accidents are very easily repaired. A bad rip may be patched up with a touch of paste, or, the plane may be re-covered very quickly. With this paper care must be taken to fasten it to the frame of the plane as securely as possible, as a loose sheet will flutter and increase the head resistance.
A well-proportioned model built by Reginald Overton
