Make: Kit Reviews

At MAKE Labs we built a squadron of balsa-and-tissue ornithopters for William Gurstelle’s how-to article in MAKE Volume 08. The trickiest part was bending the tiny wire crank that flaps the wings in time. Even with Bill’s clear instructions, that little wire was trial-and-error. This kit spares you that error. The pre-bent crank and laser-cut […]

Toys & Games: balsa, Games, ornithopter, planes, stick and tissue, toys

I chose this kit airplane because it has great performance, but even better, it’s designed for builders who don’t have a ton of tools. Only common hand tools are needed — no fiberglass work or welding. The fuselage comes pre-welded, and the wings fully assembled, so I only needed to assemble and wire the plane, […]

Outdoor & Sport: outdoors, planes, sports

This kit’s great for office warfare but it’s really meant for flight-testing paper airplanes. Two DC motors spin rubber discs in opposite directions to grab your plane and propel it up to 30mph. There’s no soldering, just pre-cut wires and a screw terminal block. Intended for teaching kids ages 14 and up, it’s easily assembled in […]

Toys & Games: Games, launcher, paper planes, planes, toys