Here’s an compact RC airplane storage rack that’s cheap and easy to make. It’s so much better than stacking them in piles in the garage or spare bedroom.
Materials:
- (2) 8 ft 2×4 boards for the legs and risers
- (20) 12 in long, 3/4″ pegs
- (1) 15 in 2×4 board for the top cross brace
- (1) 12″x18″ plywood for the base
- 3″ screws or nails
Build notes:
- None of the dimensions are critical. Feel free to resize any parts to fit your collection and available materials.
- Cut each 8 ft 2×4 to make one 78 inch riser and one 18 inch leg
- I cut the pegs from five 4 ft pieces of oak dowel. You could use PVC tubing as well. I may add PVC pipe insulation for padding
- I spaced the pegs eight inches apart, but adjust as you see fit for your collection
- The dowels are angled at about 10 deg, to keep the planes firmly against the riser. I used a Forstner drill bit in a drill press to drill the holes, but a spade/flat bit would work too. Regular twist drills may split the wood
- Everything is held together with screws and/or nails. Some glue wouldn’t hurt
- The risers could probably use some bracing, but doesn’t seem critical
Total cost for the project was about $40. That’s $10 for the 2x4s, $20 for the dowels, plus screws and random wood bits. I had screws and plywood scraps lying around.
The rack can hold nine or ten planes, depending on their shape and how they’re arranged.
Enjoy, and good flying!
M. Okincha
