Product Description

A comprehensive guide to the use of expanded plastic foam materials in aircraft modelling. The author describes the choice of foam, the materials for strengthening and covering, and tools and glues. There is information on scratchbuilding from foam, along with tips and techniques.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #270179 in Books
• Published on: 2000-01-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

Customer Reviews

It's all in here
The synopsis of this book is brief but the book is not - it is a thorough treatment of the subject of foam modelling techniques. If you want to know how to get foam to work for you in model aircraft this book will guide you without doubt.

The chapters are logically laid out including theory as well as practice. The diagrams and photos are simple and support the text clearly. The book will take you through design considerations, choice of materials, construction and repair. Furthermore it gives simple explanantions and schematic diagrams of all the machinery that you might need and how to make it inexpensively from "junk" sources - including hot wire cutters, jigs, laminating presses and vacuum baggers.

Multiple techniques are covered with guidance as to when to use each - including extremes in extra-long high-aspect wings.

The only thing this book won't teach you is the physical skills required to get the desired results - but it does simply point out how to identify one's own skill-deficiencies and how to improve. If you have mastered the cutting - the rest should be easy.

This book's cover suggests it's for aero-modellers - it doesn't take much imagination to adapt it for other forms of modelling and wider applications around the home or industry. It will be useful to anybody who wants to learn how to build foam-cored models - or repair ARTF models that have encountered "unplanned arrivals". This is a useful book. It is not my idea of an exciting read but that is not why I bought it. This will remain in my library for the long-term and I expect to refer to it many times in the future. A good investment.

Worth a look
This book mostly covers larger foam models for IC rather than small electric foam models popular today. It is however of use to all foam modellers. There are many ideas and well described techniques included in the book.

Many modelling books tell me little I didn't already know, this book made me think a lot more of the possibilities - I would describe it as an 'advanced' book on foam flying model construction and well worth adding to the bookshelf. For a simpler introduction try Keith Spark's book, but if you want to take things further this book makes a very handy reference covering techniques from template hot wire cutting to vac bagging and more in the detail required to get on and do it.