Cessna Rocking Plane

**Edge** · 20th December 2011, 01:23 PM

Hello all,

This is my first post and in celebration of our first child, this is my first woodworking project. I have decided to make my little man a rocking plane, as opposed to a rocking horse. Having spent a few hours in a Cessna 182, I decided to create a scale model of that. The exception on scale is that my wife thought a wingspan of 1.5m was silly. A wingspan of less than a doorway was recommended.

After not finding any rocking plane designs suitable I decided to make my own. You could say I’ll wing it (pardon the bad joke). I have cut most of the pieces so far and have only glued the two halves of the fuselage together.

A concern is getting the balance (centre of gravity) correct. Does anyone have any tips on this? Do I just place a bag of spuds on the plane?

Another concern is the strength of the rocking part. I have currently made it out of pine. Should this be hardwood?

Yet another concern is what paint should I use? (Child safe of course)

I would also like to make a routing table to make my life easier.

I’ll post more pics as the project progresses.

Cheers,

Edge

**Kev Y.** · 20th December 2011, 01:52 PM

Welcome Edge.

Have you thought about placing the seat on the wings instead of back toward the tail? Then you can adjust the position of the plane on the rocker base.

Kev

**Edge** · 20th December 2011, 02:09 PM

Thanks Kev.

As my boy grows up my hope is he can place his feet on the slats of ontop of the rocker, instead of on the footpegs (to be inclueded). This I hope gives the plane some longevity.

I also want the little man to sit a little more 'in' the plane rather than 'on' the plane.

Good idea though.

**clarence1** · 20th December 2011, 05:47 PM

Could you move the plane forward on the rocking part as if it was souring skyward. This way the seat is over the centre of the rocking part. A bit of weight on the plane to get things right is not a bad idea.

I would use acrylic paint and if you can find paint that is labelled non toxic all the better but we use acrylic paint in our club.

Now you have made the pine rocker I would go with it. What about a hardwood strip on the bottom to increase the wear?

Mike John

**crowie** · 20th December 2011, 07:01 PM

G'Day & welcome to "Toymaking" Edge,
Well for a first post you are certainly shining, top job.
I made a sit in rocking horse with 18mm ply sides;
on the bottom edge I glued & tacked a length of "20mm x 3mm tassie oak" strip.
I used the selleys polyurethane glue then used a trim router to cut it flush with the ply.
Another tip is that over the acrylic paints I spray a coat of pressure pak clear gloss to set the paint work with a hard finish.
Keep up the good work.
Cheers, crowie

**Edge** · 21st December 2011, 09:58 AM

I agree with moving the plane forward. It's the only way really. I still have the propeller and spinner to the nose. There should be a reasonable balance weight over the front half, I hope.

The spinner (propeller nose cone) I’ll try to turn out of wood at my father’s metal working business.

I think the hardwood strip will shift the wear from the rocker to my hardwood floor. I will add the strip, but also look into an additional felt or Teflon strip.

Hello and thanks for the compliment Crowie.

I’m enjoying this woodworking thing. Next will be a chicken coop and a replacement deck.

Cheers,

Ed

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