First build a Disaster.Cessna 170.Lesson learned

[paul]

From plastic to balsa, I knew I had a challenge. Firstly I kept forgetting balsa is a bit more fragile than plastic, and forever breaking and repairing wing ribs and anything else of the model made of balsa I came in contact with (everything). I sanded excess until I thought she looked a treat, ready for tissue.
Applied tissue glueing with dope and then sprayed water with an atominizer.
I couldn't wait for the tissue to dry so I used a hair-dryer. While watching the tissue dry and tighten, I thought I would speed up the process and add more heat. Tissue burnt.
Stripped and replaced tissue and let dry overnight.
Before going to work I checked how she was doing, she looked once again a treat, ready for painting that night after work.
While at work my Granddaughter thought she would take it for a test flight. My Cessna 170 is now no more.

Lesson 1....Balsa is not plastic be more careful
Lesson 2....Be a lot more patient
Lesson 3....Keep workroom locked

With the above learned I have now started a Spitfire MK-1

[npazzin]

man, i know how you feel. i have comet brand model that had like a forty or so inch wingspan. i was almost ready to skin it, an it fell victim to an angry cat! chewed off most of the front fuse!!! so now it sits, good luck with your next build !

[Wildpig]

Yippeee! Now you get to build another one!

Balsa models do take a slightly different set of skills. Keep at it.

[bitlerisvj]

Gosh, I hate when that happens.
It only happened to me once. I was about 12 years old and had completed a BEAUTIFUL Comet Stinson Reliant. The cowl bumps had been painstakingly sanded and glued on to the cowl wrapper, the wheel pants had been sanded to a beautiful teardrop shape. Everything was done and the plane was ready for tissue. When I got home from school, my mom was handing me a couple of dollars to go buy a new airplane (that one only cost about 69 cents), because my two year old brother had a ball turning my beautifully built Stinson Reliant into very small balsa toothpicks.
I have never had that happen since. I have no idea why not? I have had 4 children of my own, several cats and dogs, etc. Maybe they could sense the vibes from me while doing my builds? Also, I generally put substructures and builds away where no one could get to them. )
Try try again, good luck.
Vic Bitleris

While at work my Granddaughter thought she would take it for a test flight. My Cessna 170 is now no more.
With the above learned I have now started a Spitfire MK-1

[Supercubber95]

I'm suddenly glad I'm the youngest one in my family

[Supercubber95]

Suddenly I'm glad I'm the youngest one in my family

[StefanJ]

"Lessons learned" is the key here. You learn more from mistakes (your own and others) than success.

Buy a new kit and start right in.

In fact, consider buying TWO kits. While the glue / dope / whatever is drying on one, you can work on the other. I do that with model rockets.

Hmmm. Yes. Toddler brothers. They should come with crates, such are as used when training puppies. With a hatch for handing in toys. When a toy lasts a week without getting busted into pieces, they'd be allowed out.

Last year the "Modern Family" TV comedy showed an older dad and his stepson building a balsa plane. The guy's four year old granddaughter showed up and began pawing at the model. "What's this? What's this?" I, and probably everyone else who has built a balsa model, cringed in horror.