Child's Airplane for Fisher-Price People

I made this for our three children in the 1970s. It survived them and now our granddaughter is playing with it. The airplane was made with some scrap oak from old church pews and altar furniture.

Materials used were some old oak, some glue, and some latex varnish. You will also need some Fisher-Price people, or will need to make some of your own, probably on a lathe. I will give some dimensions in one of the steps.

Tools used were a radial arm saw (A table saw, even a hand crosscut saw would work.), a router, an electric drill with a 1/2 inch twist bit and a 7/8 inch spade bit, clamps for gluing, a chisel, a spokeshave, and a file. I also used some sandpaper and a brush for the varnish.

Step 1: The fuselage

Begin with the fuselage of the airplane. Dimensions are not always critical, so long as the final proportions are pleasing to the eye and the end product looks like an airplane. This plane is roughly similar to a DC-3.

The fuselage as I made it is 1 5/8 inch thick side to side, 2 inches high top to bottom, and 12 3/4 inches long.

Measure 6 7/8 inches forward from the rear of the fuselage on the bottom of the airplane. Mark a line across the bottom of the fuselage. Rabbet 5/8 inch deep and 2 3/4 inch wide for the wing.

See the yellow text boxes for a reference when making the cuts described in the rest of this step. From this same mark taper the bottom of the fuselage to the rear end of the fuselage that makes the fuselage only 3/8 inch high at its rear end (under the tail and rear stabilizer).


Turn the fuselage over onto its top surface and taper the sides of the fuselage toward the rear. The tapers begin at the rear of the wing and leave the fuselage 3/4 inch wide at the rear end.

Comments

[CatTrampoline]

Excellent idea and even better execution! I also like that all of the edges are rounded. Definitely add the maker info to the bottom of the toy. I wrote the maker & date on the heirloom-quality toys my in-laws made for my son since it might be forgotten 50 years down the line.

[Phil B]

Thank you.

[projectsugru]

beautiful, it already has the charm of an antique, this will last for generations :)

[Phil B]

Thank you. I suppose stories related to toys like this should be recorded somewhere. In time they are often forgotten or become distorted.

[projectsugru]

that's interesting, have you considered engraving something onto the toy so that in 4 generations time it can still be traced back to you ?...

I wonder if your Instructables URL will work in 100 years ?

[Phil B]

Given the airplane is from wood, the ideal might be to burn maker and date information with a soldering gun or a woodburning tool. Once I read an article on Stradivarius violins. He always signed his things with "Faciebat Stradivarius" and the year. "Faciebat" is Latin for "It was made..."

[neeandy]

now the market have a lot of toys, include: plastic, wooden, or other, i feeling, DIY toys to our children, instereting, improve handle

[Phil B]

They are also a nice remembrance of the person who made them, or of the person to whom they first belonged.

[rimar2000]

Great job, Phil.

[Phil B]

Thank you, Osvaldo.

[Kaptain Kool]

This is amazing!

[Phil B]

Thank you.

[splazem]

Wow, great job!

[Phil B]

Thank you. When I built this I did not have any printed plans. I just used my eye to make it look like an airplane. The kids have enjoyed it. My grown children enjoy reading Instructables about toys I made for them.

[l8nite]

it looks like it will live to pass down another generation. Nicely done !

[Phil B]

Thank you. I was always concerned about the tail section. It is the most prone to breakage, but it has been fine.