How Model Airplanes Fly

Summary: Building and flying model airplanes is a fun hobby and past time. But somehow it is not enough for a model airplane enthusiast just to know how to build and fly his airplane.

After the successful flight of the man-carrying vehicle made by the Wright brothers, interest in aviation spread rapidly and many models were made. Model airplane enthusiasts are already existing in the early 1900s'. Most of the models are rubber powered, twining type with double stick fuselages that are common in Europe. But even in the early days of model flying, small petrol and compressed air engines are already being used. The materials used in model constructions are birch strips, veneer, spruce, piano wire or bamboo and oiled silk covering. Then balsa structure and tissue covering appeared in the United States in the late 1920s'. So much for the history of model aircraft. So you see, even today, the airplane structure and how it fly is no different from the one we are flying today. The wings, fuselage, vertical and horizontal stabilizers, propellers, engines, landing gears are the same. The airplane, to fly and have control during flight uses them. The wings are obviously responsible why the airplane can stay in the air for a long time. With proper design of the airplane, dimensions, weight considerations and aerodynamic design characteristics it will fly successfully. The aerodynamic principles behind it is what really makes it fly. But even though it has a good design, weight and balance plays a major role. There was a saying that "a feather flies better than a brick" which is true because a very heavy airplane won't fly if it cannot be sustained by its power plant (engine, propeller, and fuel tank). And with regards to balancing, a well-balanced airplane is controllable during flight. Usually the fulcrum or center of gravity is located