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Check out this video featuring a team of engineers—brilliant, inventive, and maybe just a little bit crazy—as they put a cardboard airplane to the test for human flight. Would you trust a plane made primarily of cardboard? Would you fly it? There’s only one way to find out how this story ends, watch the video and see how it all “unfolds!”

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X0126A Hi-Max Materials List

Hi-Max FF Sheet (24 x 36)

Hi-Max Electric Sheet 1 (36 x 48)

Hi-Max Electric Sheet 2 (36 x 48)

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I made the louvers using 30-minute epoxy glue and a 2-ounce fiberglass cloth. I made a forming mold so that all the louvers would look the same. Using a Dremel Moto-Tool with a Robart carbide grinding bit, I cut the shape of the louver into the edge of a hardwood block.

I coated the mold with wax to act as a releasing agent so that the epoxy would not stick to the mold. I melted some candle wax in a disposable aluminum foil dish simply by placing the dish on top of my covering iron. I turned the iron to full power and held it in a bench vise, then placed the dish filled with ordinary sealing wax on top. Once the wax had melted, I dipped the wooden forming mold into the melted wax to coat the surface. I did this several times until the surface was smooth and completely sealed.

With the wood form held in a small vise, I laid three layers of 2-ounce glass cloth on top of the mold. I used a disposable acid brush to apply the resin and to press the fiberglass layers neatly into the recess in the mold. Once the epoxy had cured, it was easy to remove the formed louver from the mold. I trimmed away the excess fiberglass using a sharp pair of scissors, and then I lightly sanded the edges smooth. After making two louvers, I recoated the mold with another dip into the hot wax.

To install the louvers on the model, mark the position for your louvers and cut the air-vent openings so that the louvers neatly cover them. Depending on the paint scheme of your model, you can prime and paint the louvers separately, or simply glue them into place and paint the model. This technique is quick and easy to do. Properly molded louvers add a lot to a scale model, and having functioning louvers will keep your model’s engine happy, too.

ONE
The louver shape is formed in a hardwood block using a Dremel Moto-Tool and a carbide bit.

TWO
The wax is melted in an aluminum foil dish on top of a covering iron.

THREE
Dipping the plug into the melted candle wax forms a smooth surface, which acts as a parting agent.

FOUR
The hardwood plug is coated with candle wax.

FIVE
Thirty-minute epoxy is brushed onto the mold, and three layers of 2-ounce fiberglass cloth is added. Apply epoxy between each layer so that all the layers are fully saturated.

SIX
Once the epoxy has cured, the louver can be easily removed. The louver can now be trimmed using a sharp pair of scissors. Be sure to leave a small mounting flange around the base of the louver.

To make the louver functional, air-vent openings have to be cut into the fuselage skin where the louver will be
located.

Here, you see the louvers glued over the openings. For the Albatros, there are two louvers on the right side and two on the left.

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Kudos to CARF-Models on this remarkable scale achievement. Just as they are in the full-size jet, the turbines are mounted low and forward in the fuselage, feeding specially designed dual-wall thrust tubes that exit above the wings. Stainless heat shielding and cooling airflow protect the composite structure, resulting in a model that’s as smartly engineered as it is stunning to watch fly.

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The Tufnut was born out of the frustrations of many first-time builders who struggled with their early attempts at rubber-powered models. Its designer set out to solve those common pitfalls, offering step-by-step instructions and practical tips—especially when it came to covering with tissue and finishing with dope, two of the trickiest skills for beginners. By tackling the problem areas head-on, the article helped countless hobbyists achieve a warp-free, flight-ready model.

What makes the Tufnut stand out is its unique solid balsa fuselage, cleverly slotted to contain the rubber motor inside, instead of the usual stick with a motor dangling beneath. The result is a model that’s sturdy, forgiving, and quick to put together. Perfect for newcomers eager to build their first successful flyer—or for experienced hobbyists who want a fun project to share with a child or grandchild.

Whether you’re here to relive some nostalgia, discover a hidden gem, or simply add another build to your workshop, the Tufnut is proof that a well-designed model never goes out of style. 

Tufnut Plan & Article

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I used my CAD program to draw up a simple box structure with an attachment rim and then I had my buddy Pat at LaserCutUSA.com cut the parts for me. Of course you can just as easily make a similar design and reproduce similar the parts with a band saw and a drill press. The assembly is very easy to install and it took me about an afternoon to hang the engine.

I am using a Fuji 43cc with electronic ignition to power the Skyraider so I made the engine mount box/tank shelf long enough to accommodate the tank and throttle servo, with the idea that I would attach the ignition module and battery pack in front of the firewall.

I started by placing the engine over the side-view of the plans. The engine fits nicely in the cowled area of the reduced plans.

After aligning the prop hub position so it would clear the front of the cowling, using the engine’s attachment tabs I marked the new location for the firewall in the front of the mount box.

For strength, I made the sides of the box from 1/4-inch ply and the top and bottom from 1/8 inch lite-ply. I added notched the fronts of the four sides to key the 1/4-inch firewall face into place. Alignment tabs on the firewall and the aft bulkhead fit the slots as shown.

I made the firewall just wide enough to fit the engine attachment bolts, and you see here the blind nuts have been ground back to clear the sides. I also doubled up the firewall with a second layer of 1/4-inch plywood to properly seat the blind nuts. The total thickness of the firewall is 1/2 inch and the two layers are laminated together with Zap 15 Minute Epoxy. The firewall is also glued to the plywood sides with epoxy.

Once the box was glued together, I placed the box on the plans to mark the front of the main firewall.

Here are the two main parts of the engine box ready to be epoxied together.

I also had a new F-1 firewall cut with the required rectangular opening to clear the tank support section.

I then epoxied the new F-1 firewall to the front of the fuselage with slow setting epoxy and clamped it into place until the glue had cured.

I left off the bottom fuselage sheeting aft of the firewall so I could clamp the new F-1 firewall to the F-1 bulkhead.

Test fitting the box through the firewall, it  slides easily into place. The fuel tank fits snugly inside with some thin foam placed between it and the box.

I also added triangular balsa stock around the attachment rim to increase the gluing surface.

Looking through the cockpit opening, the two aft attachment points will use blind nuts and bolts to anchor the box to the fuselage’s vertical side structures. The bolts can be easily accessed through the wing saddle should you want to remove the engine and fuel system for maintenance.

Using scrap 1/4-inch ply, I set all the blind nuts so I could glue them into place for each of the six attachment bolts.

So the bolts installed, the engine is finally attached to the firewall and the engine mount box is attached to the main firewall for a solid installation.

TEXT & PHOTOS BY GERRY YARRISH

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BASIC ROLLS
The basic aileron roll starts by pulling the airplane up into a 10- to 20-degree climb. This way, the pilot doesn’t have to worry about altitude or the ground and can then apply full left- or right-aileron and roll all the way around. The most important step in this sequence is making sure that you’ve neutralized the elevator used to set the climb before you apply aileron. This precaution ensures that the roll remains axial and on the same heading. Novice pilots must be especially careful not to get ahead of themselves by directly applying aileron while holding in the elevator. This can result in a clumsy barrel roll and loss of heading. Once you have initiated the roll, you need to focus all of your attention on preparing to quickly neutralize aileron the instant the wings approach level.

Establishing a climb before applying aileron allows you to concentrate on finishing the roll with the wings level and without being distracted by altitude. Rolling at higher speeds and applying full aileron reduces the influence of gravity and also allows you to quickly complete the roll before losing altitude.

Since most rolls only take a second or two, you’ll have to wait until after the roll is completed to consider the result and reflect on whether or not you need to make any changes. For example, if you find that your roll finishes lower than where it was started, you might want to try a steeper entry next time. When learning new maneuvers, I’ve found that it’s best not to muddy the waters by making corrections during the maneuver. If there are deviations, you want them to be obvious and to leave no doubt about what you need to improve next time.

While nearly all symmetrical wing airplanes will roll just fine at half throttle, rolls performed at lower airspeeds tend to be more influenced by gravity and, as a result, tend to drop more toward the end. Rolling at higher speeds reduces the influence of gravity and therefore lessens the drop. Applying full aileron also makes the basic roll easier because it’s completed before it has a chance to lose any appreciable altitude.

Guard against going directly into the aileron while still holding in elevator. This can cause a clumsy barrel roll and loss of heading.

HORIZONTAL ROLLS
When you’re comfortable with basic rolls, you’re ready to add a bump of down-elevator (push) to keep the airplane level through the inverted portion of the roll. Since the airplane is inverted only for a brief moment during a roll, the down-elevator input will have to be brief as well, i.e., a “bump.” It’s worth mentioning that those who attempt to base their down-elevator input on watching the plane will often end up holding in the elevator too long while evaluating its effect. Consequently, the plane will perform an outside barrel roll, which will result in a loss of heading and altitude. A proper elevator bump input is just enough to keep the roll level without actually being seen. If the bump is seen or causes the airplane to change altitude or heading, it was either too large or, more likely, held in too long. Thus, as a rule, you’ll do better to bump less, rather than more. Remember, refinements, such as the elevator bump, will only help to perfect an otherwise perfectly good basic roll. If the bump of down-elevator causes you to botch your rolls, leave it out until you’re comfortable with the basic roll again. As soon as you’re all set with the basic roll, that’s the time to reintroduce the down-elevator.

As your confidence increases, the addition of the bump of down means you can start to shallow the entries of your rolls. The eventual goal is to pull just enough up-elevator to keep the plane from dropping through the first part of the roll.

As the plane rolls through inverted, briefly bump down-elevator (in/out) while continuing to hold in the aileron.

Quickly neutralize the aileron at the instant the wings approach level and bump pull out as needed.

A proper bump of down-elevator (in-out) will produce a level roll through inverted without the bump being obvious. Pilots who try to gauge their down-elevator input by watching the plane tend to fall behind and hold in the elevator too long. This can force the plane off heading and into an outside barrel roll.

CONSECUTIVE ROLLS
The logical progression from a good single roll is to a double (consecutive) roll. Start by pulling the nose up and then commit to holding in the aileron through two complete rolls. Each time the airplane approaches inverted, briefly bump down-elevator (push). As the airplane approaches the start of the second roll, briefly pull up- elevator again. Using the climbing start will make learning when to input the elevator bumps at the appropriate times much easier. When you have mastered the timing of the elevator, you can then easily start to shallow the entry.

While the type of elevator inputs used during rolls are predetermined, i.e., brief bumps, you’ll need to watch the airplane to determine when to input them: “Inverted, upright, inverted, upright.” Remember that the elevator bumps need to be applied individually at the appropriate times. If you go directly from one bump into the next prematurely, you’ll cause the roll to change heading. Keep in mind that you can save hours of practice by taking some time to rehearse on your transmitter and to input individual elevator bumps (in-out) while continuing to hold in the aileron. When you do fly, all you’ll have to concentrate on is when to apply each bump.

Commit to holding in aileron. Now your only concern is watching when to apply the elevator bumps.

Watch the airplane to determine when to input each elevator bump. Guard against holding in the bumps or prematurely going directly from one bump into the next. This can cause the rolls to change heading.

Time-saver note: untold hours of practice might be saved by rehearsing how to input individual elevator bumps while holding in the aileron on your transmitter before you fly.

At 50+ mph, no one will be able to tell that bumps are being applied.

ADVANCED UPRIGHT SLOW ROLL
Few maneuvers truly demonstrate pilot skill like the slow roll. You don’t see slow rolls performed by stunt pilots or those who feel equipment upgrades and programming are substitutes for flying skills. The day that you can perform a slow roll the length of the flying field is the day you can truly call yourself a good aerobatic pilot!

After mastering horizontal rolls with timely elevator inputs, you’re ready to start holding in less aileron to slow the roll rate and add rudder during the knife-edge portions of the roll to keep it level. First, keep in mind that it doesn’t matter if the top or bottom of the airplane is facing you; the rudder should always be applied in the “opposite” direction of the roll/aileron input. The rudder is then applied in the “same” direction of the roll entering the final knife-edge. Thus, if you’re rolling right, the opposite left rudder is smoothly applied to maintain altitude through the first knife-edge. Remember to smoothly push down-elevator through inverted and apply right rudder (same direction as the roll) through the final knife-edge. Keep in mind the correlation between the amount of aileron you’re holding in and the pace of the rudder and elevator inputs: The slower the roll rate, the slower you’ll need to apply and take out the rudder and elevator inputs. This is where applying maximum stick tension and paying attention to your control inputs really helps in comparison to merely reacting to the airplane. Be sure to note that the rudder inputs should be just enough to maintain level flight. Visible yaw is not the object; the object is to locate and repeat the control inputs that consistently produce the best results.

The most common error during slow rolls is neglecting some or all of the required elevator inputs and keeping the roll level with larger earlier rudder inputs. Not only can neglecting the elevator result in descents, but applying large rudder inputs before the wings are noticeably banked can also initiate a slight turn. At every skill level, the most influential factor and what dictates the quality and ease of the remainder of the roll, is the roll’s entry. It’s crucial that you input a small amount of up-elevator at the start of the slow roll to prevent it from dropping. You should also delay inputting the rudder until the wings are banked at least 30 to 45 degrees. Don’t forget to smoothly push forward elevator through inverted to keep the plane level before “same” rudder is introduced when approaching the final knife-edge.

While initiating the slow roll, simultaneously pull a tiny amount of up-elevator to keep it level prior to inputting rudder. Since it’s easy to over-control the elevator, you may need to think of the elevator input as up-elevator “pressure” that’s applied to the control stick, rather than a measurable input.

BOTTOM LINE
The success of any maneuver, even advanced ones, hinges on good fundamentals. Advancing pilots often assume that any difficulties they run into will require learning more involved techniques or more stick time to solve. In truth, it’s often just the opposite. If you experience difficulties attempting to add refinements to your rolls (or any other maneuver), get reacquainted with the basics and reaffirm the foundation you need to propel yourself beyond the trouble spot. Practice can only make perfect if you maintain a solid foundation on which to build. Happy flying!

Text & Illustrations By David Scott/1st U.S. RC Flight School

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