Guillow's 1903 Wright Brother Flyer Laser Cut Model Kit, Small

This was a fun build! For less than $50, these guys did a great job putting together a decent balsa wood, tissue and thread replica that not only looks authentic, but can actually fly (if you dare). Don’t be fooled - this a level 5 (red alert!) level model. If you get through the relatively easy wing builds and (gulp) join them together using the box-cut-out jigs you’ll be doing great! NOTE about wing builds: the plans seem to suggest that you should tissue one side leaving enough tissue to then fold over to cover the other side. In retrospect, doing one side at a time with no folding would have been better. Also see youtube videos regarding build reflecting this. Another tip: Use the right glue! This one calls for 3 different glues: a slow setting cyanoacrylate (super glue), an even slower setting white glue (Elmers), and a fast setting cyanoacrylate (super glue). I found that white glue worked better in some cases for getting things set right, but went back at times with a drop of thin super glue. Overall this is an excellent kit - mainly for the lasercut parts. But warning - you MUST STUDY THE PLANS. They are very well done, but unless you’ve seen one built before (recommend a youtube video), it will take time to figure everything out. You have to pay attention to every detail. If you’re not a “level 5” awesome model builder (which I am not), you’ll be encouraged by the fact that the Wright brothers were bicycle repair men, not NASA engineers, so imperfections won’t prevent the model from making it to completion.

I have been building airplane models for many years, but it’s been a while since I have built small stick and tissue models. I have mostly built larger RC flying models. I did, however, start with the stick and tissue ones. This is a great kit. I love the laser parts. It sure beats cutting out the parts with a razor blade. (guess that dates me) Plus all the ribs are the same and if you follow the directions you don’t have those few hanging differently than the others. If you have never built a wooden kit like this, it will be very difficult, and I would suggest not beginning with this one. You have to be very gentle as the pieces are small and delicate. If you are experienced, I have a hint. Build the bottom wing first. That way you can develop a technique and see what you are getting into, and it will make the top wing go easier. It would be better for the bottom to have a few mistakes than the top wing. That’s the one that shows. Another hint, use CA glue for the ribs. As for me, there is no way I could align the ribs and keep them in place while white glue dries. I’m still in the process of building, but as far as the kit. it was what I had hoped and expected, reminiscent of the old time kits I began with, but with the benefit of modern technology. You have to glue, wait for it to dry. You have to cut stock wood for some parts, (yes, in addition to the laser cut parts). You have to sand parts, and it’s even to the point of having to carve out the props yourself. For these reasons I give it a 5 star. (and to be sure you understand, the glue, hobby knives, sandpaper, or any other material used in building is NOT included.) This is a good project, but I say again, you will be disappointed if this is your first kit of this kind, as it requires a bit of patience, and some knowledge of building these kits, plus how to repair the parts you are sure to break. Most flying kits today are not kits at all. The wings and fuselage are already built all you do is assemble the already built parts. This is not that. If you don’t have experience, please don’t buy this then give it a 1 star because you can’t put it together. That is not the fault of the kit. And don’t buy it for your 6 year old for a dad/son project, and give it a one star because it’s too difficult for a 6 year old. Yes, balsa breaks easily, yes the parts are small, Yes, you have to put an effort into it and it takes time. But if you are nostalgic for the old time models and actually building, this is as good as it gets. As an add on. I wish J Simon had written his review before I began building. I ran into the same problem and had already glued the fuselage together before installing the elevator. Fortunately I had read elsewhere about the rigging. I’m still keeping the 5 star rating, however, because of the challenge. If I had wanted easy, I would have bought one of the models already finished.

Really enjoyed putting this together. Not a beginner kit. Not really a toy in my view.

The Guillow’s Wright Flyer is a delightful display model of the iconic 1903 first powered airplane. Below are my pro and cons. This model is not for the beginner. In fact, I’d recommend it for only experienced balsa model builders. The parts are small and delicate. I used medium thickness CA glue, which provides relatively quick and lasting bonds. Pro: The parts are laser cut, which results in very detailed parts that are relatively easy to separate from their sheets. There is plenty of extra stock, so you can easily make a part that you may have broken during construction. There is also plenty of thread for the rigging and tissue for covering the wings, rudders, and elevators. Con: The instructions are minimalist. Main components such as the wings, rudders, elevators, and fuselage are given step by step instructions, but the final completion of the Flyer is merged onto a couple of photographic panels. One step while building the fuselage calls for gluing a brace (labeled F4) which then prevents the elevators from being installed on the fuselage! I had to cut F4 to install the elevator and then glue F4 back together. So, install the elevator on the fuselage before gluing the F4 braces. The instructions also suggest rigging the wings too early in the build. I rigged the wings before the propeller mounts, and when it was time to install the propeller mounts I had to cut the rigging. I’d suggest you install the motor, propeller mounts, and drive chains before rigging the wings. Take your time and have lots of patience. Often you'll have to be patient while parts fully bond before going forward. In all, this was a fun, challenging model that looks great on display.

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This was a lot of work, but I enjoyed putting it together. This model is very detailed.

Fairly good model.

This model kit is a beauty. This is the first thing I want to say about it. The second is that this kit is made for someone like me who enjoys the journey and is not rushing to get to the destination, which is to finish the kit. All parts are made out of balsa wood and everything fits perfectly. This is the beauty of laser cut parts. This is my first kit made out of wood and I love it.

Great product

There are a number of issues with this model. First and foremost it is very very fragile. A lot of the parts are very thin balsa and just a slight bump will break them. The instructions are vague in many areas and require quite a bit of interpretation.

excellent