What board to use for homemade fixed wing?
In recent years, with the increase in drone and model aircraft enthusiasts, homemade fixed-wing aircraft have become a hot topic. Choosing the right materials is key to building fixed-wing aircraft, especially the panels used for the wings and fuselage. This article will combine the popular discussions on the Internet in the past 10 days to analyze the commonly used plates for self-made fixed-wing aircraft and their advantages and disadvantages.
1. Comparison of popular plate types

The following are some of the most discussed plates and their characteristics in model aircraft forums and communities recently:
| Board type | Advantages | Disadvantages | Applicable scenarios |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balsa wood (balsa wood) | Light weight, easy to process, low cost | Low strength and susceptible to moisture | Small fixed wing, beginner training aircraft |
| Aviation laminate | High strength and impact resistance | Heavy weight and difficult to process | Medium to large fixed-wing, high-performance aircraft |
| EPP foam board | Fall-resistant, good elasticity, easy to repair | Rough appearance, needs additional reinforcement | FPV racing machine, anti-fall training machine |
| carbon fiber plate | High strength, light weight, high rigidity | High cost and complex processing | High-end racing machine, professional model aircraft |
| KT board | Very low cost and easy to cut | Poor strength and easy to deform | Disposable testing machine, children's entry machine |
2. Analysis of recent hot topics
According to online discussions in the past 10 days, the following are hot topics about homemade fixed-wing panels:
1.Balsa wood vs EPP foam board: Many newbies are torn between the two. Balsa wood is more suitable for players who pursue flight performance, while EPP foam board is the first choice for drop resistance.
2.Civilization of carbon fiber panels: With the price of carbon fiber sheets falling, more and more enthusiasts are trying to use them in homemade fixed wings, especially in the wing reinforcement and fuselage main beam parts.
3.The rise of composite materials: There’s been a lot of discussion lately about “sandwich” structures that combine balsa wood with carbon fiber to both reduce weight and increase strength.
3. Suggestions for plate selection
1.Beginner: It is recommended to start with KT board or EPP foam board, which is low cost and resistant to falling, suitable for practice.
2.Advanced player: You can try balsa wood or aviation laminate to balance performance and cost.
3.professional player: Carbon fiber or composite materials are the best choices, especially in scenarios with high requirements for flight performance.
4. Recommendation of processing tools
Different plates require different processing tools. The following are the tool combinations that have been discussed more recently:
| Board type | Recommended tools | Things to note |
|---|---|---|
| balsa wood | Laser cutting machine, handmade knife | Pay attention to cutting accuracy and avoid burrs |
| EPP foam board | Thermal cutting knife, soldering iron | Control temperature to avoid excessive melting |
| carbon fiber plate | CNC machine tools, diamond cutting discs | Wear protective equipment to avoid inhalation of dust |
5. Summary
The selection of panels for self-made fixed-wing aircraft requires comprehensive consideration of flight performance, cost, processing difficulty and other factors. Recent hot discussions show that balsa wood and EPP foam boards are still the mainstream choices, but the application of carbon fiber and composite materials is growing rapidly. It is recommended to choose appropriate boards according to your own needs and skill level, and gradually increase the difficulty of production.
No matter which board you choose, safety always comes first. Be sure to take precautions during processing and comply with local laws and regulations when flying. I hope this article can provide valuable reference for your fixed wing production!
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