Aluminum can plane.

[motorcyclemodeler]

Hello everyone.
I'm not sure if this should go in this category, but if not, I'm sure moderators can move it to where it belong.

My daughter had a homework regarding ideas for recycling (yes, she is still in school, here in El Salvador school starts on February and ends in October).
She told me with only a day in advance, so I decided to give it a go with a quick build of an aluminum can model.
I decided to do a simplified plane and see how it finished.
I did this in an evening, so don't expect something too complicated or fancy.

First thing I did (after get some cans and cut them) was to paste the parts over the aluminum. I took care on the layout so I got some images on the can to line out with the plane shape.


After that I just cut the parts and begin assembly. Hardest part was to find a glue that would join aluminum.


I tried with several types of hot glue with no results, until I found liquid silicon glue.
This is the kind of glue that you apply to both surface, wait for it to get tacky and then join them.
You have to wait until it dries, so I had to use some help to hold the parts while drying.
I managed to make fuselage, engine cowl, main wing and propeller on around 3 hours.


My daughter liked it the way it looked, so she will present it this way.
If plane survive the show and tell, I will finish it by adding the tail wing, wheels and the cockpit.



I never though I was going to be able to build something that quick...
Hope you like it.!!

[Easter]

This is very cool. Great work for having to build it so quickly.

[Ron40]

There is a book that is available that gives a
step by step how to create scale models from
pop cans. It is photo illustrated and can be
found at Scale Models From Soda Cans
The author shows some of the models he
has built including a Lockheed Connie. Ron

[Knife]

I've made several aluminium can models, the best glue to use is Polyurathane, it's sold as Gorilla Glue in the USA. It takes about an hour to set up properly, a quick spray of water will make it set quicker but will cause it to foam up more.

[Gman93643]

Well for this type of art, I use Testors 1/5 Oz bottle of super glue and have built all of my aluminum can models with some form of it since I ran out of my several hundred tubes of a comparable product that went out of business nearly four years ago.

I am so glad to see there are others out there experimenting with Aluminum cans besides just me! Great job motorcyclemodeler for attempting to do the out of the ordinary!

I am so inspired I cannot resist sharing some of my models as well!

[Ron40]

ngwithrsd,
Great looking models. I gave this a try back
in 1995 but put it on the back burner all
these years because of the extra effort
required. I may well give it another shot.
Thanks for the inspiration. Ron

[Gman93643]

Thanks Ron! It does indeed require great effort, much more so than a paper model and even a plastic one. But when you get it down to a science, it is well worth the effort, minus the part where you get glued and cut quite frequently!

[Ron40]

Maybe you could present a tutorial on your
methods. I think it would gain a dedicated
following on the forum and increase the use
of paper models as a basic pattern. I see you
painted all your models instead of going the
bare aluminum route which would cut down
on some of extra effort required. I assume
you used stencils or used thin paper for
the added details after painting. Ron

[Darwin]

Aluminum cans can also be turned into really great little hand-launched gliders that have surprisingly flat glides.

[Gman93643]

Actually Ron, it is not painting, it is a technique that I call paneling. I basically cut the portions of the can that have writing out after I have assembled the fuselage and use them to cover any of the remaining writing on the model. A classic example of that would be this model of the Stolichnaya Mig acrobatic aircraft built from Coca Cola classic:

Attempting to paint the cans or even using the time consuming process of stripping the paint off of them can be avoided when using the paneling technique. Besides, when the technique is done effectively, most aircraft models have that natural aircraft aluminum effect...

Then I do use stencils to cut out markings and insignias from specifically colored cans...