Simple Plastic Airplane Design
A low-cost, resilient alternative to balsa wood RC aircraft.
Simple Plastic Airplane Design, or SPAD, refers to a category of radio-controlled model aircraft. The fuselage is commonly built from lightweight plastic materials like PVC gutter downspout or aluminum rail, though this is not always the case. Wings are made from light materials such as foam or coroplast. The other components used are essentially the same as those in any comparable R.C. plane.
This building method became popular through a website launched in the late 1990s, spadtothebone.net, which promoted using inexpensive, readily available materials instead of the time-consuming process of working with balsa wood and iron-on plastic covering. That site and its plans remain online, but the main hub for SPAD enthusiasts is now on rcgroups. Frank Costa wrote about SPADs in R/C Report magazine from April 2003 to July 2004.
SPADs are favored because they are cheap and easy to work with. Painting is unnecessary, though the plastic can be decorated with inexpensive vinyl sheets from sign shops. Control surface hinges can be made by cutting one wall of the corrugated plastic, requiring no special hardware.
Modelers use corrugated plastic sheets in thicknesses like 2 millimeters (common for flying wings or electric gliders) and 4 millimeters. These sheets are typically used by sign makers and are often discarded, giving modelers a free source of material. Propulsion can be either an internal combustion engine or an electric motor, just like balsa planes.
Corrugated plastic planes offer a simpler alternative to traditional balsa R.C. aircraft in many situations. They mostly avoid balsa, saving money, and withstand crashes better due to their resilience, making them a good choice for beginners. Good trainer planes and gliders can be built from SPADs, as well as advanced models for combat flying, 3D flying, or situations where flyers do not want to risk a more expensive plane but still want similar flight characteristics.
To build a SPAD, a beginner can copy the dimensions of a well-known balsa trainer and adapt them to SPAD building techniques. Planes can also be built from existing plans or scratch-built, with the modeler drawing their own plans—this is usually done by experienced modelers.
- Popularized by
- spadtothebone.net
- Popularized in
- late 1990s
- Magazine coverage
- R/C Report magazine author Frank Costa covered Spads from April 2003 to July 2004
- Common materials
- PVC gutter downspout, aluminium rail, foam, coroplast
- Typical sheet thicknesses
- 2 millimeter and 4 millimeter corrugated plastic
Lore & Background
The concept of building simple radio controlled airplanes using cheap materials without the time-consuming process of working with balsa wood and iron-on plastic coating was popularized by a web site created in the late 1990s, spadtothebone.net. While this web site and its many original plans and articles still exist, the main gathering place for SPAD enthusiasts on the web today resides at rcgroups. R/C Report magazine author Frank Costa covered SPADs from April 2003 to July 2004.
SPADs are preferred to other materials because they are cheaper and easy to work with; painting is not required, and the plastic can optionally be decorated with vinyl sheets available in signboard shops at very cheap prices. Hinges for control surfaces can be made by sheering one of the twinwalls of the plastic sheet, requiring no special hinging device. Modelers use corrugated plastic sheets of various thickness, such as 2 millimeter (preferred for flying wings or electric gliders) and 4 millimeter. These sheets are generally used by signboard makers, and when discarded, modelers may use them to build model airplanes.
The choice of propulsion can be either internal combustion engine or electric motors, as with balsa counterparts. Most SPAD airplanes do not use balsa, which saves considerable cost. They withstand crashes better than balsa counterparts because of their resilience, making them a good choice for beginners. Good trainer planes and gliders can be made from SPADs, as well as advanced planes for RC Airplane Combat and 3D Flying. They are preferred in places where flyers would normally not risk a more expensive plane yet want the same flying characteristics of balsa planes.
Reader's Guide
Simple Plastic Airplane Design represents a significant shift in radio controlled model aviation by offering a simpler alternative to traditional balsa wood construction. The approach, popularized through a late 1990s website, made model building accessible to a wider audience by using inexpensive, readily available materials such as PVC gutter downspout, aluminium rail, and corrugated plastic sheets. This eliminated the need for time-consuming balsa wood work and iron-on plastic coating, while also reducing costs considerably.
The resilience of corrugated plastic planes makes them particularly suitable for beginners, as they withstand crashes better than balsa counterparts. They serve well as trainer planes and gliders, yet advanced modelers also use them for RC Airplane Combat and 3D Flying, especially in situations where flyers would not risk a more expensive plane but still want similar flying characteristics. The building process allows beginners to copy dimensions from well-known balsa trainers and adapt them to SPAD techniques, while experienced modelers may scratch-build from their own plans. The community continues to thrive online, with plans and discussions available through dedicated forums and websites.
Did You Know?
- SPAD stands for Simple Plastic Airplane Design.
- The concept was popularized by a website created in the late 1990s, spadtothebone.net.
- Corrugated plastic sheets used by SPAD modelers are often discarded by signboard makers and can be reused.
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