Model Aircraft How-To for Building, Covering & Flying
from American Modeler and American Aircraft Modeler

Over the years, many installments of the popular Sketchbook (aka Sketch Book) have featured reader-supplied tips. A complete list of the ones I have posted are given below. The other list is a collection of various how-to articles and resources from the pages of my collection of modeling magazines and even some that I produced myself.

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Sketchbook Editions

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Back when the Sketchbook, Gadgetry, Powerless Pointers, and Engine Info columns were run, there were very few pre-built models, and there simply was not as much available in the way of hardware and specialized modeling tools. We were still a nation of designers and builders. The workforce was full of people who worked on production lines, built houses and buildings with hand tools, and did not have distractions like Nintendos and X-Boxes. Remember that plastics were not common material until the early 50s and the transistor wasn't invented until late 47. Enjoy the tips. Some of you will no doubt wax nostalgic over the methods, since you can remember the days when you did the exact same thing!