ShankRC (AviationStation.net)

OK so it’s not R/C and its stand WAY-OFF scale but I think it was a neat project. My oldest daughters 4th grade class got an assignment to do a biography report on any famous figure they choose. They were to dress like their subject and could bring any props that they wished to share. Emily chose Amelia Earhart so that we could work on the project together. The plan was to build a plastic model Electra together for her prop. After spending 3 weeks trying to locate any Electra kits, I came to the conclusion that there were none produced anymore and the people on Ebay that had them seemed to know that fact. Not willing to mortgage the farm for a plastic model kit, I Googled up a simple 3-view and got some balsa chips flying. The fuselage was carved from a leftover Sr. Falcon wingtip block that has been in my scrap box for at least 15 years (knew I would need it someday). Engine nacelles started out as 1″ square balsa blocks. The wings were shaped from some 3/8″ balsa sheet left over from something and the tail feathers were simply 3/32″ sheet notched to fit together. Painted her up with some model paints and made a stand out of 3/4″ plywood. The result….A++. If you have any questions concerning the construction of the Lockheed Electra please feel free to email me.