Quick and cheap airplane stand
08-04-2006, 07:44 AM
#1
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Quick and cheap airplane stand
I just finished a KYOSHO P40 Warhawk that has retract gear in the wing. As I do with most of my projects, I whipped out a couple of airplane stands to hold the fuselage while I stuck the sucker together. After it was all done, it dawned on me that transporting that thing to the field was going to have a problem. With the wing off, the fuselage doesn't transport easily. There is nothing to keep the fuselage from rolling over except the tail feathers, and they're not designed to work like that.
The obvious answer was to make a carry cradle for the car. It took about 10 minutes and cost almost nothing. I use half-inch foam insulation board and cut it out on the bandsaw. It's dead simple to custom fit it to the exact task. It's cheap enough that you can make 'em for every airplane that has some special shape.
The obvious answer was to make a carry cradle for the car. It took about 10 minutes and cost almost nothing. I use half-inch foam insulation board and cut it out on the bandsaw. It's dead simple to custom fit it to the exact task. It's cheap enough that you can make 'em for every airplane that has some special shape.
08-04-2006, 07:51 AM
#2
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RE: Quick and cheap airplane stand
The pink ones are the building stands I made when I started the airplane. The blue is one I made this morning before heading out for the maiden flight. If you look closely, you can see that I took a bit of scrap and made a "parts bin" on the base. When building, I've often got other things going on at the same time, so I keep all the parts for one project in a "special" place. What better place than right under the fuselage?
08-04-2006, 08:05 AM
#3
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RE: Quick and cheap airplane stand
The foam is available at any Home Improvement. I got the blue at LOWES and the pink at Home Depot. It comes in BIG sheets. I bring it home in my Honda. When I get out the door after checkout, I cut it into thirds and it'll fit "through" the fold down bulkhead in my trunk.
I've found an excellent glue for the stuff. Both my LHSs have model train departments and that's where I found FOAM TACK GLUE for MODEL ROADBED. It looks like thick Elmers. I've not tried any other kind, so can't make suggestions beyond this one.
The foam has very thin, clear plastic protective sheeting on both sides. It usually peels away fairly easily. The glue I use will stick equally well to the protective plastic or to the "naked" foam. But I figure joints made with naked surfaces should be stronger. The protective stuff actually doesn't have any better surface than the naked foam, so I don't mind peeling it off at all.
Cutting the stuff on a bandsaw is no sweat. Truth is, "cutting" isn't exactly the right term. I don't think the bandsaw even knows it's cutting anything when I feed this stuff through.
One sheet will make A BUNCH of these things. Out of one sheet, I've made some fuselage sides for one airplane and so many of these stands that I've given pairs away to 3 or 4 of my flying buddies at the field, so be prepared to have A LOT of raw material for awhile.
I've found an excellent glue for the stuff. Both my LHSs have model train departments and that's where I found FOAM TACK GLUE for MODEL ROADBED. It looks like thick Elmers. I've not tried any other kind, so can't make suggestions beyond this one.
The foam has very thin, clear plastic protective sheeting on both sides. It usually peels away fairly easily. The glue I use will stick equally well to the protective plastic or to the "naked" foam. But I figure joints made with naked surfaces should be stronger. The protective stuff actually doesn't have any better surface than the naked foam, so I don't mind peeling it off at all.
Cutting the stuff on a bandsaw is no sweat. Truth is, "cutting" isn't exactly the right term. I don't think the bandsaw even knows it's cutting anything when I feed this stuff through.
One sheet will make A BUNCH of these things. Out of one sheet, I've made some fuselage sides for one airplane and so many of these stands that I've given pairs away to 3 or 4 of my flying buddies at the field, so be prepared to have A LOT of raw material for awhile.
08-04-2006, 09:32 AM
#4
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RE: Quick and cheap airplane stand
Thanks! What a great idea! Now I know how to transport that P40 when I finally get it finished. I wasn't sure how to get it to the field in the back of my truck, but this stand is a natural. 
NCDaveD
NCDaveD
08-04-2006, 10:01 AM
#5
RE: Quick and cheap airplane stand
Bah! WAY too much effort! I'm so lazy, I just liberate beer/wine case cardboard boxes from the liquor store(they are more than happy to get rid of them), cut a "U" roughly the size of the fuselage in each end, and line the U with spare foam pipe insulation. Costs nothing more than the gas to drive across town for the boxes and a few scraps of pipe insulation I already had. Your solution is a bit more, shall we say, elegant, however.
! I'm so lazy, I just liberate beer/wine case cardboard boxes from the liquor store(they are more than happy to get rid of them), cut a "U" roughly the size of the fuselage in each end, and line the U with spare foam pipe insulation. Costs nothing more than the gas to drive across town for the boxes and a few scraps of pipe insulation I already had. Your solution is a bit more, shall we say, elegant, however.
08-04-2006, 04:26 PM
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RE: Quick and cheap airplane stand
and i've been wondernig what to do with that old piece i took off my fuilding board because it got too warped to build on.......
brillant.
thx
brillant.
thx
10-12-2006, 04:41 PM
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RE: Quick and cheap airplane stand
Great idea!
I was thinking of making something to transport my planes.
One thing that I came up with was to transport the planes nose down, which permits me to transport more planes at once with their tails in the air.
You could use some heavy cardboard boxes or something like Darock's idea.
I was thinking of making something to transport my planes.
One thing that I came up with was to transport the planes nose down, which permits me to transport more planes at once with their tails in the air.
You could use some heavy cardboard boxes or something like Darock's idea.
10-12-2006, 06:13 PM
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RE: Quick and cheap airplane stand
Hi all.
I use the foam as well. Rather than cut a plane specific cut out I simply use a shallow “V” shaped opening. When building, they will hold the fuse at any angle right side up or up side down and anywhere in between. I have several different sized sets and find them dispensable….. bert
I use the foam as well. Rather than cut a plane specific cut out I simply use a shallow “V” shaped opening. When building, they will hold the fuse at any angle right side up or up side down and anywhere in between. I have several different sized sets and find them dispensable….. bert
