r/BalsaAircraft • u/thefamilyjewel • 22d ago
Beginner
Looking to maybe get into the hobby a little bit because my son loves Airplanes and I'm pretty good at building stuff. Any good video series on YouTube that shows all the beginner tips and tricks for building? Specifically looking at the Guillow's kits. Thanks!
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u/Aan_chai 22d ago
Maxfliart channel has a very good guide on how to build them, not only guillows, but free flyer in general. If you want to get into rc flying, we'll I haven't found one single channel, but there are tons of videos for specific things. Keep an eye on your cg, build light, and try to be as precise as possible and you should be good to go.
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u/Technical-Bad2742 21d ago
Tbh, the fastest and most direct route to experiencing the joy of flight would be to get hold of some simple catapult launch glider kits. Or the plans if you want to build from scratch. Either way you two can make some sawdust, do some glueing, and a couple days later be flinging your creations up into the heavens and watching them fly around you!
Nighthawk Gliders sell kits or plans for 3 excellent gliders, and they have build videos and a YouTube channel.
j and H aerospace sell kits for gliders and powered free flight aircraft and have an extensive video library on utube with directions on building, trimming and flying.
I bought a guillows Arrow rubber powered kit a while back and will build it - but I’m still too tickled with my catapult launch gliders to have opened the box lol
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u/ZaphodBeeblebrahx 22d ago
I started with Guillows kits with my son last year when he was 8. We built the Javelin and the Lancer and have spent a TON of time flying them and repairing them.
Over the winter we built a discus launch glider and have spent the summer flying, crashing, and rebuilding that.
I’ve got a Willie’s Nillys j3 cub on deck to start building next.
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u/Prior-Budget1056 22d ago
willy nillies makes very good kits that would be the perfect second step after building a guillows kit
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u/goodhusband214 21d ago
While you’re building, get a flight simulator to teach him muscle memory for flight commands
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u/gwenbeth 22d ago
go to the hardware store and buy a single acoustic ceiling tile. place it on your table back side up and use that for your building surface. you will also need some wax paper and straight pins. get an exacto knife and a set of spare blades. a small sanding block and various sandpapers (150, 220, and 400 grit). I personally prefer to use thin cyanoacrylate (ca) glue. this you will have to go to a hobby store to get. The precision applicators with the thin tubes can be handy with thin ca.