Popsicle Stick Clothespin Fokker Dr.1

I have seen quite a few pictures of models of airplanes made with clothespins.  I first started seeing them when searching for images of styrofoam gliders to add to my collection.  If you do a Google image search of "clothespin airplane" you will see what I mean.  

Inspired by what I saw online, I decided to make a clothespin airplane myself out of a spring loaded clothespin as I don't have any of those other kind of clothespins around.  I was supposed to go to a Christmas ornament gift exchange and decided to try make a clothespin airplane to bring as my ornament.  I wanted to make it red and green so that it would have a Christmas theme and even considered making a pilot with a Santa hat on.  

Well, as I started making it I got really into it!  Making this airplane took me somewhere from 4 to 5 hours as I figured out out the design.  What took up the most time is that the design changed multiple times. I ended up coloring the whole thing red, other than the supports for the top wing which originally colored green and could not go back and change.  I even added a propeller from one of my counterfeit Power Prop Gliders.  

Materials used:

- 1 clothespin (fuselage)

- 4 or 5 popsicle sticks (wings, horizontal stabilizer, vertical stabilizer)

- Sharpie markers (red, black & green)

- Elmer's glue 

- Card stock (for pilot)

- Black metal office clip (one handle used for landing gear)

- Black plastic (wheels)

- Power Prop Glider propeller

Tools used:

- Cutting pliers (for cutting the popsicle sticks so that they wouldn't splinter)

- X-Acto knife & cutting mat (cutting out the pilot from card stock)

- Scissors (to trim corners of the popsicle sticks

- Hair dryer (to make the glue dry faster)

I ended up liking my creation so much that I didn't want to give it away at the Christmas ornament gift exchange and had to find a substitute ornament. Tonight I was inspired to make a pilot for the airplane and added an over sized Manfred Von Richthofen made of card stock.  Here are pictures of the final result:

Front view

Rear view

Left side view

Right side view

Front right side view

Front left side view

There are some dimensions and parts that I would change if I made this again.  Now I am thinking of making another one of Snoopy flying his Sopwith Camel which should be easier because it is a biplane.

Some really interesting clothespin airplanes can be seen on a blog called "The Penny Whistle" under the labels "WWI" or "boxkites" at the following address:

http://thepennywhistle.blogspot.ca/