This 1930s German educational film, Part 2 of 2 (we could not locate Part 1 unfortunately!), shows how to construct an airplane model from balsa wood, paper and glue. After adjusting for the center of gravity with weights, the finished product is then test flown by two young boys off a hill. In the early 20th century this type of model building was commonplace.

Scale models in the 1920s and 30s, and even into the 1960s, were often made from paper (normal or heavy), balsa wood or card stock. Commercial models were printed by publishers mainly based in Europe and the USA. From World War I through the 1950s, flying model airplanes were built from light weight bamboo or balsa wood and covered with tissue paper. This was a difficult, time consuming process that mirrored the actual construction of airplanes through the beginning of World War II. The Cleveland Model and Supply Corporation made the most complex, challenging kits, while Guillow’s made simpler, relatively easy kits.

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com