DIY HYDROPLANES
One of the fun things that most hardcore hydro fans used to do as children was to cut out and paint wooden replicas of their favorite hydroplanes, tie a string to them and either spin around in circles or pull them behind their bikes, staging mock races.
Kevin Glenn (aka Sahwhoosh) has designed dozens of current, historic and fantasy hulls that can be made into wooden hydroplanes to (hopefully) give a new generation of hydro fans the same experience, and has been kind enough to let us share them with you. To see all of his other designs, click these links: Turbine Hulls, Shovel Nose, “Winged Wonder” and “The Cathedral Twins” Visit his website at: https://sahwoosh.weebly.com/
If you make a hydroplane and attend one of our races, be sure to come by the pits to get it autographed by the driver of your favorite boat, and maybe even get some cool stuff from your favorite team!
- Wood boards – one thick piece for hull, thin piece for wing & uprights (dimensions below)
- Printed copy of the template sheet for tracing
- Printed copy of the image of your favorite boat
- Spray adhesive (if print copies are not on label paper)
- Optional for all models: spray paint, paint and brushes if painting your model
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Wood glue
- Means of cutting out wood shapes (coping saw, jig saw, etc)
- Sandpaper
- Tack cloth or damp rag
- Optional for 3D model: staples or small screws for uprights & rear wing
- Screw eye
- String/twine
POWER TOOLS CAN BE DANGEROUS!
DO NOT ATTEMPT ANY OPERATION OUTLINED ON THIS PAGE WITHOUT ADULT SUPERVISION!
The general idea is to print out your preferred model’s template, cut it out and transfer the outline to the piece of wood you intend to use as the hull. This piece of wood can be as thick as you like, but should be 3/4″ minimum.
Once you have the template transferred, cut out the template on your wood piece, sand it and remove dust. More detailed models will have the area between the canard and the spar cut out using a jig saw or dremel.
Choose your favorite team’s graphic, then print out the image in color. Cut the image out and glue it to your finished wooden hull. Spray adhesive is best for this step.
If you are not using waterproof ink, consider using clear film over your print to protect it from moisture.
Alternatively, you can use the boat graphic as a template for painting your hull. To make the model more realistic, graphics and lettering can be cut from adhesive-backed paper and glued on.
If you make the 3-D model, using staples or small screws along with wood glue to reinforce the uprights and horizontal stabilizer is preferred. You may even consider fabricating “V” braces just like the big boats.
STEP 1:
Select a board or cut a piece of plywood to at least 10″ x 5 1/2″
STEP 2:
Print your template on regular paper (8 1/2″ x 11″) and cut out:
STEP 3:
Trace the template design onto the wood – decide if you want to cut out canard & spar:
STEP 4:
Cut out the boat shape you traced and sand as needed:
STEP 5:
Wipe off dust with a tack cloth or damp rag prior to gluing paper:
STEP 6:
Print out your hydro, cut, and glue the sheet to the boat shape:
STEP 7:
Attach the screw eye to the front of the boat:
STEP 8:
Tie a string to the hydro, attach to your bike and ride!
Use this template if you are going to make the basic model on a single piece of wood:
Print your favorite boat’s image in color if you are going to make the basic model (click the boat picture to view the large version, then right-click and save the image) :
Print your favorite boat’s image in color if you are going to make the basic model (click the boat picture to view the large version, then right-click and save the image) :
The 3-D model is a little more complicated, since it incorporates the uprights and horizontal stabilizer. These parts will be fabricated from a separate piece of wood that is thinner than the hull, and will require the use of wood glue to attach them to the hull. The use of staples or small screws is highly recommended in this stage to give support to the tail assembly.
Alternatively, like the big boats, you can even make “V” braces out of wood, metal or steel wire to help support the assembly.
STEP 1:
Print out template sheet and graphics sheet. Use label paper for graphics sheet for best results.
STEP 2:
Select two wood boards using measurements on the image to cut out boat and wings/uprights:
STEP 3:
Cut out all the templates, tack or tape to both boards and trace the template outlines:
STEP 4:
Cut out all the shapes, including canard openings. Sand as needed and remove excess dust.
STEP 5:
Cut out graphics and glue to boat shapes. You can also use boat images to paint your model.
STEP 6:
Glue uprights and rear wing to the boat shape (using staples/small screws will make it more sturdy):
STEP 7:
Attach the screw eye to the front of the boat. Make the screw eye level so it doesn’t drag:
STEP 8:
Tie a string to the hydro, attach to your bike or a wooden handle, then go out and have fun!
Use this template if you are going to make the 3-D model using two pieces of wood:
Print your favorite boat’s image in color if you are going to make the 3-D model (click the boat picture to view the large version, then right-click and save the image) :
Print your favorite boat’s image in color if you are going to make the 3-D model (click the boat picture to view the large version, then right-click and save the image) :
