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Poll Question : What do you like to use?
Poll Choice	Votes	Poll Statistics
All Wood	106	[ 37.59% ]
All Fiberglass	3	[ 1.06% ]
All Foam	1	[ 0.35% ]
Fiberglass and Foam	12	[ 4.26% ]
Fiberglass and Wood	113	[ 40.07% ]
Foam and Wood	8	[ 2.84% ]
Does Not Matter	39	[ 13.83% ]
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	GhostRider2110 Lifetime Site Supporter Lifetime project, A-36	Joined: October/08/2003 United States Posts: 310 IP Logged
Posted: July/10/2005 at 1:11am		Quote

I have not built from anything but wood...... So I really can't say... Have done some fiberglass work cowl repair and such.. but that is it.. Hope to build with other materials as my skills improve....

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	Guests Guest Group	Joined: July/22/2003 Posts: -2969 IP Logged
Posted: October/25/2006 at 4:26pm		Quote

I build with a mix of whatever I think will do the job most effectively: balsa, hardwood, fiberglass, foam, carbon, etc. Recently I've been experimenting with reinforced cardboard! The static paper model crowd has plane patterns on CD that can be scaled up on a computer with a couple of key-strokes. The stuff is so strong you can stand on a wing without damage. Try that with balsa. My point is don't be afraid to explore new materials. It's what makes this hobby so interesting to me.

	Boomerang Site Supporter	Joined: June/19/2004 Australia Posts: 524 IP Logged
Posted: October/26/2006 at 4:43am		Quote

I voted 'does not matter'. For me it depends on the model. WW1 would have to be all wood, an electric might have some foam in it, a turbine seems to benefit from a fibreglass fuselage. Some models may use a bit of everything, whatever does the job the best for a certain application is what I use. - John.

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	Lars.Baeter Site Supporter	Joined: March/18/2004 Germany Posts: 421 IP Logged
Posted: October/27/2006 at 3:48am		Quote

I voted "Fiberglass and Wood". As long as I could remember were Balsa, ply, pine and birch my biggest love. Wood is a natural god-given and living product. I love the warmness, the smell, the structure . . . anything. But Fiberglass become more and more important because I enjoy to build the plug and the mold. Fiberglass is also a real noble hightech material which can surpass the strength of steel.

Unlike to my love for wood I'm a real foam hater this poor, chemical bubble-material is in my conviction an absolute dishonorable for model airplanes . . . I know that most of the german modelbuilder are pretty more tolerant but I'm not. NEVER ! Give me some thinner and I know what I have to do . . . I hate these wretched cripples made of polystyrene wallpaper, which doesn't have an airfoil and fall through the air only because they have a prop. Most of them are a serious insult for a modeler eyes and for any real aircraft. I hate this material also when it is only the core of a wing and I will never . . . never, never accept it as a material for modelairplanes.

. . . . obviously I'm a material fanatic

LarS 8^)

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	Boomerang Site Supporter	Joined: June/19/2004 Australia Posts: 524 IP Logged
Posted: October/27/2006 at 4:23am		Quote

Don't be affraid to say what you think LarS!

Save a tree, build a foamie! - John.

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	Darren40 Basic Member	Joined: September/11/2003 Canada Posts: 95 IP Logged
Posted: November/03/2006 at 4:51pm		Quote

I've only built one plane with foam wings and that was enough. I've never built a kit with a fibreglass fuse and probably never will. Its almost the same as an ARF in my books. (I'm going to stir things up with that comment aren't I?

) Wood is the only way for me. Cut down another tree to slow down those chemical factories!

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	ScaleNut Lifetime Site Supporter	Joined: November/30/2003 United States Posts: 2269 IP Logged
Posted: November/03/2006 at 5:25pm		Quote

Well I can tell I am in the minority hear, but thats OK I usually am everywhere. I love to build a good wood airplane but since I have tried the fully balsa sheeted foam airplanes I got to tell you I think that is the best way to go. The foam fuselages are much tougher than a hollow wooden shell, don't sag between the formers and ribs so no flat spots to deal with and are straight as an arrow and on the gear in no time. I love to do the details on a scale model and this method gets me built so quick I can spend the rest of my time working on all those little details. Once it's all sheeted and ready to glass it looks like a traditional wooden airplane and what's on the inside doesn't really matter anyway.

Forest

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	Guests Guest Group	Joined: July/22/2003 Posts: -2969 IP Logged
Posted: November/04/2006 at 7:12pm		Quote

While learning to slope soar in my younger days I demolished a couple of all balsa ships. I know gliders sound whimpy but those slope dudes can get up to enormous speeds, 200+mph. Frustrated, I realized I'd never get the hang of the sport if I couldn't keep a plane in the air more than a weekend. On a friends suggestion, I bought a kit with a styrofoam wing core. It looked like packing material you throw away once you find the real airplane inside. I covered those cores with Obechi wood then fiberglassed that with 1/2oz cloth and 2 coats of polyester resin. Result: one indestructible wing indeed! That foam absorbs energy like you wouldn't believe. To be sure, the wing tips looked ratty and wrinkled after dozens of strikes but a balsa wing would have exploded into confetti the first time. Many modern car bumpers use styrofoam cores between the painted bumper cover and shock absorbing metal bar because its so good at impact absorption.

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