Prototype Build: Lockheed P-38 Lightning

Here she is, my Lockheed P-38 Lightning paper model!  (More info after the photo.)

Build Info

This was one tough bird to build, though it turned out really well for a first try.  It looks like the plane I set out to model.  Sweet!  The final wingspan is around 10 3/4", and it balances almost perfectly in the center of the wings.

On the downside, I seriously messed up in the design and build processes.  A majority of the parts were REALLY small, making it hard to work with them.  The cockpit is only secured in the back.  My build steps were all over the place, and I missed a few critical measurement opportunities, which led to me "eye-balling" a lot.  But that's why it's a prototype, right?  The important question is: Does it fly?

Well?  Does it fly?

No.  <insert frowny face; curse at the skies>  The tail is still really heavy.  As soon as I launch it, the plane tips back, stalls, and careens backwards to the floor.  It's not a control surface issue, as they all seem reasonably flat.  Adding a paper clip to the nose confirms it: this bird is tail-heavy.  And no, I don't accept the paper clip as a workaround--the model should be able to maintain its own lift, without external ballast.

What now?

Back to the drawing board.  Fortunately, I'm not going back to square one--this first build has taught me a bunch of valuable lessons.  In no particular order:

1. One sixteenth of an inch is REALLY TINY.  Make bigger parts, even if it means using more paper.
2. Cockpit canopy design was apparently not my strong suit.  I will remedy this.
3. MEASURE, MEASURE, MEASURE.  If a part could benefit from knowing where its edge lies in relation to another (part's) edge, include that measurement.
4. Don't use a pen for marking.  Had I followed my own advice, some measurement quirks wouldn't have occurred (though they didn't affect the final inability to maintain flight).

I'm toying with the idea of scrapping this particular design, though not the P-38 just yet.  Maybe I'll come back to this original design later with some fresh ideas for fixing its problems.  In the mean time, I think I'll have better success if I make the engine booms 11" long, and use two separate parts for the wings.  It should make for more paper (weight) up front, and will definitely require a wing support.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.  I'll save that for my next design post.