Air Force Academy TG-4A Glider
Download the pattern as a PDF file.
I designed the first incarnation of this plane in 1975 when I was a computer programmer for an aerospace company in Texas. It was made from an IBM punch card (some of you may be old enough to know what those are) and a paper brad for balance. Several cadets told me that it resimbled a Schwitzer 2-33 so I painted it like one of the gliders at the Air Force Academy. This glider is an excellent way to introduce the technique of monocoque construction to your students
Airframe Terminology Lesson Plan
Dynamics of Flight Lesson Plan
Zia Flyer - This airplane is designed for cadet leaders and teachers
who want a simple, quick to build model for introducing basic aviation
concepts to a group.
Instruction for printing and assembling the Air Force
Academy TG-4A
Printing
1. Download and save the Word file in a convenient place, like your desktop.
2. Print the pattern on your color printer using white, heavy card stock.
Materials Needed
pattern printed on white heavy index card stock (Approx. 110 weight paper)
1 Scissors
Elmer's type glue and/or Stick Glue
ruler or straight edge
Construction
1. Cut out the nose weights, main wing, fuselage,
rudder and horizontal stabilizer. (If time is an issue, replace the nose
weights with a penny.)
2. Glue the left and right nose weights into a stack according to the
numbers and glue each side into the nose of the fuselage.
3. Fold the fuselage and glue the tabs along the back.
4. Glue the two sides of the vertical stabilizer and then glue the tabs
to the horizontal stabilizer to complete the empennage.
5. Fold the wing stiffener back under the main wing and glue into place.
6. Cut two slots at the wing root to allow the leading edge to warp down
to form the air foil.
7. Attach the main wing to the top of the fuselage.
8. Run a bead of glue to hold the wing leading edge to the fuselage.
9. Attach the empennage to the tail of the fuselage.
10. Squeeze the top and bottom of the fuselage to round and give the fuselage
a fatter shape.
11. Trim and fly your airplane.
Designed by William H. Jackson, Maj, CAP - Capital Composite Squadron, Santa Fe, New Mexico, SWR-NM-018