What a great tutorial! Most other balsa wood gliders on KZread are fake and take no regard for aerodynamic design and proper wing attack. Thank you soooooooo much for your simple design.

@NighthawkGliders

6 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your comment! Enjoy flight, my friend! 😊

aged 64 in 23' happy new year and thank you for the video . great project for my grandson and me. here in Suffolk, England. . well done to even I can make this after a stroke took half of my brain out fair winds guys xx

@NighthawkGliders

Жыл бұрын

Happy New Year! I hope you and your grandson have a great time with the Sandpiper. It’s an easy build and does not disappoint! 👍😊

This video and the other parts that follow, took me back to the mid '70's when I learnt about Aeromodelling through Balsa Gliders. This set of videos is, in my humble opinion, the very best instructional series for anyone seriously interested in learning the art of Classic Aeromodelling which is very far removed from the 'buy and fly RC models' of today. I regularly conduct Basic Aeromodelling Workshops for school students which involves the understanding of primary aerodynamics and the practical construction of a balsa wood glider. I am going to ensure that each of my participants watch this video series and learn the basics. What i like most are the sanding techniques that have been demonstrated lucidly. Well done Team Nighthawk Gliders, you have created an invaluable instructional media that the world over can follow and learn from. There is nothing, I repeat NOTHING on the web that comes even close to this. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, you just made my life a lot easier. God bless!

@NighthawkGliders

7 жыл бұрын

WOW! Your comment on this video series is the best compliment we could possibly receive. We are extremely honored and grateful. Thank you so much! 😊 Our goal was to keep it simple, share what we have learned with students (of any age), and to spread the pure enjoyment of flight. We thank you for your service as a teacher and for sharing this with your students! We wish your students good luck and happy building!

@VC27

7 жыл бұрын

God bless, take care and thanks a million for the videos. Well done!

@simonstratman299

6 жыл бұрын

veecee27. Your right

@jimbroable

6 жыл бұрын

veecee27 Humble and brilliant comment. I like this.👍👍👍

😃😃😃can't wait for part two

By follow your videos, I had already build 2 sandpiper, and THEY REALLY CAN FLY! Great fun, Great videos. watch your videos over and over again.

@NighthawkGliders

6 жыл бұрын

We are very happy to hear this! Thanks for letting us know these tutorials have been very helpful! Glad you are enjoying our videos! Now, go fly those at the park and show them off! 👍😀

@ideology2004

6 жыл бұрын

It's raining now... Maybe I should build the 3rd one...

Thanks so much for this excellent tutorial and other videos. They have helped me so much and inspired the design of my STEM glider at school. :)

@NighthawkGliders

6 жыл бұрын

That, my friend, is one of our goals! To inspire those interested in Science Technology, Engineering, and Math! And another one of our goals is to take over take over the world. But, hey. One thing at a time, right? 😀

@jeremyswain9842

6 жыл бұрын

yeah

@petertsalavoutas3995

2 жыл бұрын

Fantastic, thanks very much. Peter

My son and I made two planes by watching this series videos. Both fly well and the longest fly is 27 seconds. I learnt a lesson that the balsa wood selection is really very important! The difference of two same size sheets from the same store can be 50%! This is the best glider tutorial video I have watched on youtube. My son and I had a lot of fun. Thank you so much Nighthawk Gliders!!

@NighthawkGliders

5 жыл бұрын

That’s great! We are always happy to read comments/email when families spend time together building and flying gliders! 👍😀. Yes, you are correct! Proper balsa selection is critical! Not only can those sheets vary in weight, but they can have varying density ribbons which makes your wings unbalanced. You also want to avoid any warped sheets. So, take your time and pick the good stuff out of the lot! Thanks for commenting and stop by nighthawkgliders.com and sign up to our newsletter! 😊

@OlliKarhun

5 жыл бұрын

What would be the recommended density of a 3/32 balsa sheet to build one? Great videos by the way, really enjoyed them and now heading for a local balsa shop 😁

@NighthawkGliders

5 жыл бұрын

For these gliders, balsa that is 8lb per cubic foot is good. Now, personally I am NOT a fan of this form of measurement. So, get yourself a digital kitchen scale and take it into the hobby shop. When looking for a sheet of 3/32x3x36” your target weight should be between 20-24 grams. Hope that helps! 😊

I enjoyed your videos. You are very talented!!

@NighthawkGliders

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks! 😊

*_Thank you for the video tutorial, it's very useful, greetings success always_*

@NighthawkGliders

2 жыл бұрын

Awesome! Glad it was useful! 👍😊

Finally done with the first part.

@gabeyzi1265

4 жыл бұрын

noice

Thanks for this vid! I have a bunch of neighbor kids who are already tripped to my RC collection, so we knead to do some birds from " step one! :D

@NighthawkGliders

7 жыл бұрын

That's great! When I fly at my local park, I often get kids (and adults too) showing their interest in them. When I tell them the gliders are home made they are surprised. I hope you have fun building them and even more fun flying them! Thanks! 😊

hi nighthawak, i like your easy instructions to build the balsa glider...

@NighthawkGliders

7 жыл бұрын

+Awesome! Have fun building and flying! 😊

Wow its so amazing

@NighthawkGliders

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! We appreciate your comment! 😊

Your creation is unique

@NighthawkGliders

5 жыл бұрын

We appreciate you commenting. Thanks! 😊

Hi there, great glider. Could you tell me please what density balsa wood to use in the 1/16 & 3/32" ?

Awesome

Outstanding video. Thank you for the build series. I've gone to the hobby store and bought all the supplies to build my first one. Cannot thank you enough for the information and inspiration. New subscriber here !!

@NighthawkGliders

4 жыл бұрын

That’s great! Welcome aboard! Enjoy flight and enjoy life, friend! 😀

Hi Mr. Nighthawks, I wanted to ask, about where would be a good place to put a tail-fin within this model?

Superfine video 👍👍 💖💖💖💖💖

@NighthawkGliders

4 жыл бұрын

Well, sir, this was a superfine comment! Thanks! 👍😊

Perfect 🖒

Não entendo nadinha de inglês , mas pelos movimentos de suas mãos aprendi direitinho a construir um modelo super legal , obrigado e muita saúde e paz para você !

@NighthawkGliders

6 жыл бұрын

Obrigado meu amigo. Eu não falo português, mas o Google traduziu! Fico feliz em saber que este tutorial funciona para você. Eu desejo você bem! 😊

Very well done! Have you tried making use of the graduated grid on your cutting board? So many cuts were whole inches, it just looked like it would have been useful. I never had a board like that, so I had to measure like you did.

@NighthawkGliders

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah, sometimes. I guess during this video, it was just a cutting mat to me any not a ruler. 😊

Are you using a thicker CA glue to attach the two halves of the fuselage? Oh yeah, GREAT VIDEOS!!

@NighthawkGliders

5 жыл бұрын

I use a medium thick CA for the whole build. It’s what works well for me. Thanks for question and subscribing to us! 😊

A nice looking glider

@NighthawkGliders

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Appreciate that! 😊 Kits available @ NighthawkGliders.com

How do you manage to cut straight down with a penknife because whenever I do that it's always sloping. Like I try to cut straight down but I just don't know how

I made my one design and it flew 85 seconds thanks to you 👍

@NighthawkGliders

6 жыл бұрын

That is fantastic!!! Wow! 😊

I think I want to get one of those balsa strip cutters. Also, I've discovered that thin balsa cuts nicely with scissors.

@NighthawkGliders

5 жыл бұрын

Certainly worth your investment! 👍

@joewoodchuck3824

5 жыл бұрын

@@NighthawkGliders After my comment I looked around and found a really nice diy one. It can be modified for a lead screw fine adjustment setting, and I also had the idea to add an inexpensive but adequately accurate plastic vernier caliper for setting the cut width. The jaws probably wouldn't be used but the vernier slide could be permanently mounted. They only cost a few $ on eBay.

Just ordered and downloaded the plans can I ask what sort of glue you're using please? Utter novice so appreciate the help

@NighthawkGliders

3 ай бұрын

Gorilla brand super glue is my favorite. You can easily find that in most hardware and grocery stores. You’ll want a super glue that has a medium viscosity. “Regular” super glue is typically way too thin. You can find other brands of medium viscosity CA glue and balsa at hobby stores. Thanks for buying the plans! 😊

@nigelhutt9921

3 ай бұрын

Many thanks appreciate you taking the time to reply.

please anyone specify the all the things required separately..

Another of the Nighthawk videos mentions a 18 inch version of the Sandpiper. Does anyone know if the plans are just scaled up by 3/2, or are there modifications?

@NighthawkGliders

7 жыл бұрын

The Sandpiper 18 isn't exactly 3/2 scale of the Sandpiper 12. There were some mods made to it make it fly better. Sorry, but I have nothing published yet on the Sandpiper 18 regarding plans. Thanks for asking and showing your interest. 😊

Hi Nighthawk, I am a Science Olympiad student and I built your glider as inspiration for my competition glider. When I launched it, it was very unstable, and it wasn't descending in a circular path. Also, I have another glider that is very unstable and it just kept doing loops in the air. Is there any tips u can give me to make my gliders more stable and how to make them descend in a circular path? I already tried to tilt the horizontal stabilizer, but i really don't know what happened with it. Thank You

@NighthawkGliders

5 жыл бұрын

You may have built it from some unbalanced balsa. Sometimes balsa can have bad grains of various density. Try turning your glider upside down and balance it on end of ruler- balance it right at the wing joint. Does it lean to one side? If so, try adding clay on wing tip to balance it. This is not ideal situation, but might help. Regarding looping, you may have too much “up elevator” or not enough nose weight.

I have to ask, where can I get the best balsa. I have bought Midwest Products and bought several sheets, but came warped in the packages. Normally I by from hobby lobby. What is the best Love the Vids!

@NighthawkGliders

6 жыл бұрын

Ugh... it came warped? Bummer! Well, I heard that Sig Contest Balsa is very good, but not tried them yet. Here is a link www.sigmfg.com/IndexText/SIGB454.html. Normally I’ll go to HobbyTown USA and pick thru the bin for the best available by selecting lighter density and avoiding those with pesky, dense ribbons. I once ordered 20 Midwest Balsa sheets from Amazon, and got about 9 good sheets of various weight. The rest were maybe 1/2 decent, a couple were dinged and some were not ideal for any great glider. None were warped. Anyway, enjoy flight and enjoy fishing, my friend, and thanks for watching! 😊

@EBspeciesfishing

6 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Deverias tratar de escribir en español como se llama esa cosita con la que tu cortas dime como la puedo conplar y dondela venden esperando tu respuesta gracias

@NighthawkGliders

2 жыл бұрын

www.google.com/search?q=master+airscrew+balsa+strip+cutter

hi! if i want to make the glider fly as far as possible using a catapult launcher, how should i position it? is it okay if the wings are parallel to the ground?

@NighthawkGliders

3 жыл бұрын

Tough challenge. If your glider flies perfectly straight and you have a specific target direction, then that seems reasonable. If your glider stalls on a level launch, and nose dives, then you may need to try a banked launch while aiming to target with an arc glide. But if you are just going for distance any direction from launch point, I’d trim it to fly straight and try to launch it as high as possible and let it glide the distance. This might work better for outdoor distance.

thx

@NighthawkGliders

7 жыл бұрын

You're welcome! If you are going to build one I wish you good luck, my friend.

Would it make any difference if I add a fin? for my student's competition, a fin is required.

@NighthawkGliders

4 жыл бұрын

How about a small fin on the bottom? E.g. you can try making it a Y-tail instead. 👍😀

Great! How much is the thickness of balsa sheet?

@NighthawkGliders

3 жыл бұрын

I use 3/32” (3mm will work as well).

Complimenti per il video, lo stabilizzatore il balsa e di due mm. grazie

@NighthawkGliders

3 жыл бұрын

Prego amico mio. 😊

I have a question do you have a list of materials? how many Balco´s table i need?

@NighthawkGliders

3 жыл бұрын

www.nighthawkgliders.com/blogs/what-you-need-to-build-balsa-wood-gliders

If I order the Sandpiper 12 kit will I get the wood shaped as the fuselage and the wings?

@NighthawkGliders

4 жыл бұрын

Absolutely! Our kits have all the parts you need and they are laser-cut to make your build go easy! Also includes a launcher, rubber bands, and nose weight! 😊

@shahryarhumayun538

4 жыл бұрын

@@NighthawkGliders but will I receive it because the corona virus has stopped the shipping.

I'm making one out of a pizza box ( that's all i have tonight , I'll get balsa wood tomorrow ) 😎👍👍

@NighthawkGliders

5 жыл бұрын

We wish you good luck on your build! Thanks for the comment! 👍😀

Deverias poner las letras arribas para poder ver las medidas tu revisa tu video y fijate lo malo que se vee con las letras abajo no deja ver las medidas

@NighthawkGliders

2 жыл бұрын

Lo siento por eso. Los planos detallados se venden aquí. NighthawkGliders.com/store

Can someone say what is the flight time of this glider

@NighthawkGliders

3 жыл бұрын

It depends... But I probably have flight times mostly between 20-40 seconds. But that’s when I’m flying on days with no thermals to help it out. If you hit a thermal, flight time can go well above 1 min, easy!

I can use MDF board for making gliders

@NighthawkGliders

3 жыл бұрын

I believe MDF board is really dense. It would not work well for gliders. 🙁

For sandpiper 18 The dimension is 1:1 (wings to fuse ratio)? Wings 18" Fuselage 18" And also I want to know the dimension of cord length and stabilizer.

@karaokerishabh

4 жыл бұрын

Please tell me 🙄

@itzdani0073

4 жыл бұрын

I think so, but I would make the wings of an inch more

What is your reason about this design? Why is the wingspan and the stabilizer built like that?

@NighthawkGliders

2 жыл бұрын

Basically, I wanted a design that was very efficient on material. A 3”x36” sheet of balsa can produce three wings and three fuselages. Also, to make it more special, I wanted an a glider design with a v-tail (which is a less common feature in catapult gliders.). 😊

@janangelodadis2805

2 жыл бұрын

@@NighthawkGliders thanks you 😊

Hello from Spain, I would like to build one but I am new and I have doubts. Why is the CG 55% and not 25-30%? The fuselage is very thin, will not it break? Thanks in advance and congratulations

@NighthawkGliders

5 жыл бұрын

Hi, Joseratufy! Thanks for joining us! Yeah, on a powered-airplane, it's very common to have CG at 25-30%. In such models, the elevators would provide a substantial down force to counteract. However, for HLG or CLG, it's very common they have a rearward CG. It seems counterintuitive (and I may be wrong) but I think it has something to do with the horizontal stabs on the HLG/CLG models typically provide upward force when the gliders are in "glide mode." All I can say is... it works this way... no doubt about it!

@NighthawkGliders

5 жыл бұрын

Yes, the fuselage can break if it is sanded too thin, especially if the glider has a bad flight where it rolls and the wing tip hits the ground first creating a torque moment on the tail boom. You don't have to sand it so thin if you are concerned it jeopardizes the integrity of the fuse. Also, keeping your v-tail super-light is key in helping prevent the fuse from breaking.

@Josecebri

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much, I already built several and fly very well. My nephews and I had a great time.

@NighthawkGliders

5 жыл бұрын

We love to hear it when our gliders bring family together for a flying fun time! 👍😀

do you have the instructions for making the Sandpiper 18?

@NighthawkGliders

7 жыл бұрын

Sorry, John, but we do not have one for the 18 right now. Did you build a 12? If so, how did that go?

@johnmarktamano8834

7 жыл бұрын

I really liked your ingenuity. Simple but efficient. I still testing the foam board. thank you

Is 4 mm instead of 3 mm balsa wood good?

@NighthawkGliders

4 жыл бұрын

It could be a bit thick and maybe a bit heavy depending on the wood. But you can sand it down thinner.

How much mm thick is the wood

@NighthawkGliders

5 жыл бұрын

It’s 3/32 of an inch. Which is about 2.4 mm.

The balsa sheet is 2.5mm or 2mm? Sorry, i'm italian and i I don't understand the measurements with inches.... how thick is the Fuselage? 4 or 5 mm?

@NighthawkGliders

4 жыл бұрын

Wing: 3/32 of an inch = 2.38mm. Fuselage: 2 x wing thickness (or slightly thinner.)

@itzdani0073

4 жыл бұрын

@@NighthawkGliders yes ok. But is 2mm or 2.5mm because in italy there is Just 2 or 2.5..

@NighthawkGliders

4 жыл бұрын

Go with 2.5mm balsa for the wing and you should be ok! So the fuselage would be two layers of 2.5mm making it 5mm thick. 👍

@itzdani0073

4 жыл бұрын

@@NighthawkGliders perfect. Tanks very much

Will it work if I 3D print one?

@NighthawkGliders

4 жыл бұрын

Not certain... I’m not a 3D printing expert... My gut instinct says it would not work well because it would be way too heavy. 🤔

@shahryarhumayun538

4 жыл бұрын

@@NighthawkGliders Ok

Please where I can get the diagram ? Thanks

@NighthawkGliders

6 жыл бұрын

You can find a diagram for the Sandpiper 12 here... goo.gl/XBy5RK. Good luck on your build!

@jimbroable

6 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much sir.

@jimbroable

6 жыл бұрын

I try to make yours sometimes it work fly well sometimes fly upside down 😁. What do you suggest sir ?

@NighthawkGliders

6 жыл бұрын

Hmm... That’s a tricky one. Hard to say without seeing it fly. I suppose I would try to apply some up elevator. Now, do that a little bit at a time. You may need to also shift nose weight forward and down if you can or add some nose weight. Keep testing and tweaking until results improve. I hope that helps!

@jimbroable

6 жыл бұрын

Nighthawk Gliders I will try sir. Thank you very much for your suggestions.

0:22 What do you mean with number 11?

@NighthawkGliders

4 жыл бұрын

That was just the number I assigned it. Probably was my 11th build of a Sandpiper 12 (not counting earlier prototypes.)

@shahryarhumayun538

4 жыл бұрын

@@NighthawkGliders Ok I get it.

I made mine with 6mm balsa sheets but it did not fly.what thickness did you use

@NighthawkGliders

5 жыл бұрын

Yeah... I’d say 6mm is quite thick for plane this size! I’d say 2-3mm should work. The sheet thickness I use is 3/32 of an inch. That’s about 2.4mm. Good luck!

@heshamtawfik5471

5 жыл бұрын

@@NighthawkGliders thx buddy Gonna let you know

@heshamtawfik5471

5 жыл бұрын

I made another one using 4mm balsa sheet first it worked good although it lasted only 5 seconds of smooth flying but not it flies inverted upside down !!! then turn in mid air what could possibly be the reason. Im sure i carved the wings evenly and good

@NighthawkGliders

5 жыл бұрын

Hmm... I’m thinking 4mm might still be a bit too thick for a 12 inch glider. To stop it from flying upside down, I wonder if you can try tapering your wings thinner from root to tips. That should lessen wing weight at tips and lower CG vertically for better stability.

Will it work with 0.114173228 inches thick balsa wood for the wing and the fuselage and 0.106299213 inches thick tail?

@shahryarhumayun538

4 жыл бұрын

Please Reply

@NighthawkGliders

4 жыл бұрын

You can use 3/32 to 1/8 thick for wing, 1/8 to 3/16 for fuse, and 1/32 to 1/16 for tail.

@shahryarhumayun538

4 жыл бұрын

@@NighthawkGliders but wait weren't the fuse and the wing have the same amount of thickness?

@shahryarhumayun538

4 жыл бұрын

@@NighthawkGliders but could you/you guys tell me if the measurements I wrote would work?

@NighthawkGliders

4 жыл бұрын

Your measurements for wing, is ok... but for tail it’s too thick, unless you sand it thinner.

WoodPrix scripts includes most of woodworking plans you can find

7:18 what did u set it on?

@NighthawkGliders

4 жыл бұрын

What was the setting for the balsa strip cutter? Well, I cut the wood exactly down the middle. So, the wood was 1/2” wide and the cutter was set to half that (1/4”)

@shahryarhumayun538

4 жыл бұрын

@@NighthawkGliders OK thanks just asked because you said 1/4 then you changed it a bit

Thank you!

Sandpiper 12” 2

Please tell me the dimensions.

@NighthawkGliders

4 жыл бұрын

I believe I mention all the dimensions for the Sandpiper 12 in this video. Also, plans are available: NighthawkGliders.com/store

@karaokerishabh

4 жыл бұрын

No actually I want to know the fuse to wing ratio

@NighthawkGliders

4 жыл бұрын

On the Sandpiper 12 both the fuse and wing is 12” long. So, in this case 1:1.

@karaokerishabh

4 жыл бұрын

@@NighthawkGliders can you please tell me what is the cord length of the wings and the dimension of the stabilizer.

inches squinces quarters squarters! thanks for the video anyway!

@NighthawkGliders

5 жыл бұрын

I know... imperial units, right? Lol. 😆

@memiself1595

5 жыл бұрын

yes! BUT i start right now to make one for my son :) cheers!

hi

@NighthawkGliders

7 жыл бұрын

Hello, Martin!

#

Is wood glue too heavy?

@NighthawkGliders

4 жыл бұрын

Good question. I prefer to use Gorilla brand Super glue but not because of weight- but because CA type glues set quickly. I think wood glue would work just fine and I don’t think would be an issue. The challenge with wood glue is that it works best when the parts are “clamped” together and it takes a longer time to dry. Trying to clamp angled airplane wings and tails on a fuselage can be slightly tricky when you use wood glue, but it is possible and can work if that’s all you have on hand.

@shahryarhumayun538

4 жыл бұрын

@@NighthawkGliders OK thanks but before making it I will make that thing you made so I can set the wing at a height you put it on. By the way I have never seen anyone who shows the tutorial in so much details and replies to your comment. Thanks again😊

Step by step with plans from the Stodoys site you can do something like that

Who else is thinking of making this rc powered

@NighthawkGliders

7 жыл бұрын

lol. 😀 go for it!

@komix7556

7 жыл бұрын

Nighthawk Gliders any tips?

@NighthawkGliders

7 жыл бұрын

Tips to make this into RC? Yeah... use a bigger glider! lol! This one only weighs about 5 grams! 😀 I'm actually thinking of making an RC glider with a 24 inch HLG I currently have. Maybe worth a video!

@komix7556

7 жыл бұрын

Nighthawk Gliders ok, go for it. I'll sub so I can be notified when the video comes up

Mtp

Triggered. I am.

@NighthawkGliders

5 жыл бұрын

Triggered? 🤔 How so?

Looks like a chopstick 😂😂😂

@NighthawkGliders

6 жыл бұрын

Hmm. Yeah, you’re right! 🤔 Maybe i should get some chopsticks and try them for a fuselage. 😀

@aaanelson9232

6 жыл бұрын

I did it works

@NighthawkGliders

6 жыл бұрын

Fantastic! 👍😀