Scratch building is my favorite part of r/c modeling. Scratch building is building a flying model from your own design plans. It sounds a little intimidating at first but it can be a very rewarding experience. Your reward will be seeing the plane you designed and built take to the air for the first time. Designing a flying model, like any other aircraft, does require at least some basic knowledge of aerodynamics. There are a few resources online dealing with aerodynamics as well as a few books. One book in particular I highly recommend is Basics of Model Aircraft Design by Andy Lennon. This book covers the basics and more advanced principals. If you really have your mind set on scratch building, don't let yourself be turned off if you lack any experience in aerodynamic theory. You can learn what you need to know at your own pace as you progress though your project.
I will do my best to cover the basics of scratch building. Since there are so many different techniques and approaches to scratch building, I will discuss the process based on my own techniques of design and construction. I like to break down the entire process into four main sections- PLANNING, DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION and TESTING. Click on the buttons below to find out more about each section.
