1. Carefully trace the wing and elevator shapes on
the
inside of a meat tray as shown. Be sure the front
edges of the wings go about 2/3 of the way up the curved
sides of the tray. Check the bottom of the tray and
avoid any logo found there. You may need two trays. Cut out
the wings and elevator with the hobby knife or scissors. Use
the emery board to smooth the cut edges and sand off the pen
lines.
2. Using a black marker and templates, mark the locations of the rib lines on both sides of each wing and the elevator. Make two sets of marks, one on each edge. Connect the marks to make the rib lines. Use a permanent ultra fine black marker and a straight edge made from a manila folder (so the end can be bent to conform to the rounded shape of the foam).
3.Now cut out the center of the lower wing only as shown
by the dotted lines on that template. Cut a toothpick in
half and sharpen the cut ends. Dip the ends in glue and
stick them in the cut edges to join the lower wing halves,
leaving a 1.5 cm. gap.
(If the foam is thin, glue the toothpicks to the
underside of the wing instead.)
4. Make 12 spars by cutting toothpicks to a 5 cm. length and then sharpening the cut ends.
5. Use the wing template and a sharp toothpick to mark the holes for the spars on the top surface of the lower wing (the front edge should curve down) and bottom surface of the upper wing. In this picture the upper wing in the back is upside down.
6. Dip toothpicks in glue and insert them in the spar holes now marked in the lower wing. Try not to push them all the way through the wing. Be sure they are standing up as straight as possible.
7. Now, with both the upper and lower wings upside down (the edges should be curving up at this point), insert the back row of spars into the underside of the top wing. Use the marked holes as a general guide, but keep the spars straight and evenly spaced. Put a little glue on each to keep them in place as shown in the picture. Now join the front spars to the top wing, remembering to keep them straight and fasten them with dabs of glue. This takes some effort to get everything in the right place and is easier to do with two people.
8. Stick two toothpicks in edge of the end of the
elevator and add a dab of glue to hold them in place.
(If the foam is thin, glue these to the underside of
the elevator instead.)
9. Turn the glider over and glue the elevator assembly on either side of the opening in the lower wing as shown. The elevator should extend out from the curved edge of the wing so it is in the front of the craft.
10. Turn the glider back over and insert a toothpick in
the center of the left rib line as shown and add a bit of
glue. Then insert the other end of the toothpick into the
front edge of the upper wing and glue. Add another toothpick
in the same way to the right rib line.
(If the foam is thin, glue these to the underside of
the upper wing instead.)
11. (Optional) Cut enough 1.5 cm. pieces off of toothpicks to stick into the back edge of each wing on the lines to simulate the ribs.
10. For display the kite can be hung on a thread and
strings could be added to be held by a kneeling plastic toy
soldier. ADULTS: A hobby knife was used to trim away the
guns and helmets. Using the knife and glue gun, the arms and
legs can be cut and swapped or repositioned. Five-minute
epoxy works better.
