If you are one of those people who builds, buys, or otherwise acquires airplanes faster than you crash them, sooner or later you will have a storage problem. You can hang your aircraft from the rafters, hang them on the walls, or leave them on the floor, but storage eventually becomes a problem.
A piece of
scrap wood can
be used as a
spreader bar to
hold the bottom
of the tree in
place. Dowels
or PVC pipes go
through the 2
x 4s.
Dowels or PVC
pipes are covered
with foam-pipe
insulation to
protect aircra
nishes.
Two 2.5-inch
drywall screws are
used to attach the
2 x 4s to a ra er.
The bottoms of
the 2 x 4s can rest
on the floor.
Roughly a dozen airplanes can be safely stored in an
approximately 4- x 6-foot space by building an inexpensive
airplane tree. If open rafters are in your storage space, it’s a
breeze to securely attach the top of the tree, with the base
setting on the fl oor.
If the storage area ceiling is fi nished, a base can be built
and the height adjusted as needed. The wooden parts can be
stained and fi nished similar to furniture if the tree is used to
display assembled aircraft in a home or in public.
The dowels and PVC pipe listed in the materials sidebar
are for a tree built with 12-inch spacing between the
dowels. If larger and/or smaller aircraft are to be stored,
spacing and quantities may be varied.
To ensure equal spacing, arrange the 2 x 4s and drill 5/8-
inch holes in both boards at the same time. Use a drill press
so the holes will be perpendicular to the wood.
If chucking a 5/8-inch drill is a problem, spade bits are
inexpensive and generally have 1/4-inch shafts. Drive the
dowels into the holes so that equal amounts protrude from
each side.
I selected 5/8-inch dowels or 1/2-inch ID (5/8-inch OD)
PVC pipe. That is the smallest foam pipe insulation material
available at the Home Depot store where the supplies were
purchased.
PVC pipe comes in 5-foot lengths and is less expensive
than dowels.
Each can be cut
in half to make
two supports.
Select a
place where the
airplanes can
be stored and
mount the 2 x
4s to a rafter
with the bottom
ends setting on
the fl oor. For
most .15- to
.91-engine
aircraft, 18- to
The materials needed for the project are
available at most home-improvement stores.
24-inch spacing between the 2 x 4s is a good starting point.
Square them up and use wood screws to attach a scrap-wood
spreader piece across the lower part of the 2 x 4s.
Cut pieces of foam insulation to length and slip in place,
and you’re ready to begin stacking fuselages and wings.
The foam may be glued in place if it tends to move on the
dowels.
—Walt Wilson
[email protected]
SOURCES:
Home Depot
(800) 466-3337
www.homedepot.com
Photos by the author
Edition: Model Aviation - 2013/04
Page Numbers: 45,46
Edition: Model Aviation - 2013/04
Page Numbers: 45,46
If you are one of those people who builds, buys, or otherwise acquires airplanes faster than you crash them, sooner or later you will have a storage problem. You can hang your aircraft from the rafters, hang them on the walls, or leave them on the floor, but storage eventually becomes a problem.
A piece of
scrap wood can
be used as a
spreader bar to
hold the bottom
of the tree in
place. Dowels
or PVC pipes go
through the 2
x 4s.
Dowels or PVC
pipes are covered
with foam-pipe
insulation to
protect aircra
nishes.
Two 2.5-inch
drywall screws are
used to attach the
2 x 4s to a ra er.
The bottoms of
the 2 x 4s can rest
on the floor.
Roughly a dozen airplanes can be safely stored in an
approximately 4- x 6-foot space by building an inexpensive
airplane tree. If open rafters are in your storage space, it’s a
breeze to securely attach the top of the tree, with the base
setting on the fl oor.
If the storage area ceiling is fi nished, a base can be built
and the height adjusted as needed. The wooden parts can be
stained and fi nished similar to furniture if the tree is used to
display assembled aircraft in a home or in public.
The dowels and PVC pipe listed in the materials sidebar
are for a tree built with 12-inch spacing between the
dowels. If larger and/or smaller aircraft are to be stored,
spacing and quantities may be varied.
To ensure equal spacing, arrange the 2 x 4s and drill 5/8-
inch holes in both boards at the same time. Use a drill press
so the holes will be perpendicular to the wood.
If chucking a 5/8-inch drill is a problem, spade bits are
inexpensive and generally have 1/4-inch shafts. Drive the
dowels into the holes so that equal amounts protrude from
each side.
I selected 5/8-inch dowels or 1/2-inch ID (5/8-inch OD)
PVC pipe. That is the smallest foam pipe insulation material
available at the Home Depot store where the supplies were
purchased.
PVC pipe comes in 5-foot lengths and is less expensive
than dowels.
Each can be cut
in half to make
two supports.
Select a
place where the
airplanes can
be stored and
mount the 2 x
4s to a rafter
with the bottom
ends setting on
the fl oor. For
most .15- to
.91-engine
aircraft, 18- to
The materials needed for the project are
available at most home-improvement stores.
24-inch spacing between the 2 x 4s is a good starting point.
Square them up and use wood screws to attach a scrap-wood
spreader piece across the lower part of the 2 x 4s.
Cut pieces of foam insulation to length and slip in place,
and you’re ready to begin stacking fuselages and wings.
The foam may be glued in place if it tends to move on the
dowels.
—Walt Wilson
[email protected]
SOURCES:
Home Depot
(800) 466-3337
www.homedepot.com
Photos by the author
