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8 Aircraft Models That You Maybe Did Not Think About
| Do you have too many model airplanes on your shelf? I'm sure this is not going to stop you to add more - either by making them with your hands or buying them from the store. But maybe it's time to broaden your collection with something different - something that your friends modelists will greatly envy you for. Judging by the huge interest our article about model autogyro caused, I'm sure you will be interested to know about different types of aircraft models that are not airplanes. Here are 8 of them: more original, less popular, and funky. |
1. Model Balloon or Dirigible
 Picture by disoculated | Feel romantic? Model balloons and dirigibles can bring a bit or retro-feeling in your model aircraft collection. Model dirigibles are mostly known as inflatable toys for little kids, but they can also be static scale models made of wood with great details. The RC fans can find many radio controller airship models which are usually also inflatable. Typically these toys are bigger than the model airplanes you probably have in your collection. |
If you want to have small model of the typical balloons used by travellers and explorers from the past, you will most probably need to make it yourself. If you plan on making a flying aircraft be extremely careful with hot air or hellium as both may cause fire. Besides the caution required however, making such a model can be very satisfying and the result can be quite impressive and unique.
You can find a great model airship gallery and more information here.
2. Model Early Planes
| While we are on retro-wave, let's think about the early planes. What are they? Mostly utopical, extraordinary, impractical... but lovely aircraft! In this category fall all kind of early ideas for balloons, steam aircraft, monoplanes and a lot of truly exciting stuff. You can learn a lot more about them at the Wikipedia page. |  Photo by su-lin |
The only problem with these models is that you will probably need to make them yourself. It's hard to find any kits or RC aircraft that represent such early machines. Obviosly most of these models will not be flying because even the real aircraft has never flown. But even as static model such aircraft can be the jewel in your collection.
3. Model Paraglider
RC fans love RC paragliders because they really can fly well and smooth - and besides that flying them is really straightforward. Even climbs and decents are very easy to achieve simply by increasing and decreasing power. Most of these toys are quite affordable - only the RC paragliders of the serious hobbyists are expensive.
Static scale model paragliders aren't very popular, because to be frank they aren't much impressive. If you plan to build such a model yourself, maybe you'll want to consider some hard material for the wing so it stays open. Possibly such models may include also a figure of the pilot.
Model paragliders are most interesting in their RC version.
4. Model Rocket
 Picture by kansasphoto | These models are loved by kids and teens with deviation to astronautics. But model rockets are special. Yes, you can see the typical static scale models of rockets and spaceships, and electric RC model rockets as well. But model rocketry is more than this - it has been existed for more than 50 years as a hobby that involves creating exciting models from paper, plastic, wood, or other lightweight for outdoor flying - and they really can fly high (usually up to 500m!). The real model rocket hobbysists know an entire science of launch methods, site selection, deployment and more. Model rockets deserve their own article here and we will publish it soon. Until then you can continue reading here. |
5. Model Hovercraft
Is hovercraft an aircraft? I'll leave this argument open - the fact is that personal hovercraft gain popularity everywhere and that's valid for the models, too. Most model hovecraft are remote controlled and scale models at the same time. They come as complete toys or as kits which are quite easy to build and can hover on land and on water just like the real craft.
Static scale models are less interesting because most hoverceraft aren't too detailed vehicles but they have their fans too - especially the military ones.
If you are not looking to make a scale model but just want a nice hovercraft toy for your kits, you can even make one from an old CD.
6. Model Flying Boat and Seaplane
Flying boats and amphibian airplanes are very useful in the general aviation. They offer a lot more options for landing than a regular airplane. What is the situation with the models? Flying boats are most popular as RC toys for children and often do not represent a real aircraft in details. Most of them come as ready models or ARF kits which are easy to assemble and fly. They primary purpose is to entertain, which they do well.
| Model seaplanes on the other hand are often expensive (more than $100) static scale balsa wood models for adults. Some of them come as kits or RC seaplanes. If you want to build a seaplane model from scratch you'd better try to keep details in place and follow some of the popular scales. |  Photo by tomhe |
7. Model Flying Wing
 Photo by Jakuko | The flying wings are futuristic airplanes which contain most of their equipment and the fuselage itself in the main wing structure. Flying wings are very popular as RC toys and have many variations. Some represent massive military airplanes and are made of plastic while others look like hang gliders or ultralight trikes and are very light and easy to make yourself. |
Many of the light ones come as ARF kits (like these) but excluding the remote control it's easy to make such yourself from scratch using materials on hand.
If you prefer static models you may need to build them yourself - plans however can be find online even for free.
8. Tiltrotor Model
| Huh... a tiltrotor? This fairly strange aircraft isn't very popular within the professionals and the fans of real flying, but it's a great subject for building models. With its two rotors and strange shape it can be an amazing exponent in your collection. If you plan to buy or build an RC titltrotor you must know that these things are really hard to fly. Their rotors are hard to balance which leads to instability of the entire model. |  Photo by BillKatyGemma |
Making a static model should be easier because you don't need to bother about the balance, but finding kits or plans for this weird aircraft can be a bit challenging.
Do you have any of these aircraft in your collection? Do you think any cool one is missing from the list?
