Strip-plank a fuselage

Model Airplane News, Jan 2000 by Tanzer, John

Combating compound curves

Other modelers often ask how I strip-plank a fuselage with compound curves. Do you have to taper each plank to the rear of the fuselage? No, my method is quite simple: I divide the fuselage into four sections and then glue and pin a strip at the belt line halfway between the top and the bottom sections. Then I glue and pin a strip at the center of the bottom section. From then on, I simply glue on one strip at a time (one strip up, and one strip down) till they meet at the rear. I then cut the rear of the strips to fit. I do the rest of the sections in the same way, alternating one up, one down, till the section has been filled in.

On my .60-size Zero shown here, I used 32X-36-inch-long balsa strips. If some of the strips were too short, I spliced on an additional piece.

I use aliphatic resin glue because it allows more time to work, and it's easy to sand; just let it dry for 48 hours before you block-sand with 80-grit sandpaper. Do not sand too briskly, as the heat generated can soften the glue and gum up the sandpaper. Fill any low spots (you're bound to have some) with Elmer's light wood filler.

Using this system, I find strip-planking quite enjoyable. The photos show it in detail and are very clear, so why not try it on your next model?

1 To ease the planking process, place the fuselage in a cradle or some kind of padded holder. Here, the left side has been planked, and the right side is ready to be planked. Begin by adding one strip at the belt line and another strip at the bottom center.

2 For this Zero, I first glued on the 3/32-inch shoot balsa saddle for the stabilizer. Note that a 3/32x3/8-inch strip has been glued to the fuselage belt line, and another has been glued to the bottom center.

3 As I add strips between the belt line and the bottom strip, their ends come together at the rear of the fuselage. To fit the remaining strips, mark the strip's ends where they overlap the previous strips for the angle cut When you apply strips, alternate one up and one down.

4 Use a straightedge and cut each balsa strip at the mark. Fit each strip into place, and check its fit against the other strips.

5 When the strips are added alternately (one up, one down), the angles on their cut ends create a herringbone effect. The joints that the angled cuts form are very strong and are almost invisible when they've been sanded.

6 The fuselage is now fully planked. Notice that as the joints are placed closer to the front of the fuselage, the strips become shorter.

7 Notice the difference between the top and the bottom of the fuselage. The top has been block-sanded with 80-grit paper, and the bottom remains unsanded. Aliphatic-resin glue is easy to sand and is perfect for adding planking to fuselages.

8 Here, the Zero fuselage has been sanded and is very smooth. Hardly any filter is required

if you make neat, precise joints.

9 These floats for the Navy version of the Japanese Zero "RUFE" were also strip-planked in the some way as the fuselage. Structures of any shape can be planked using this system.