Candy Biplane

- These Candy Biplanes are fairly easy to make and everyone loves them!

- I have been making these Candy Biplanes as presents for nearly 20 years. Kids love to eat 'em, adults love to display 'em!

- They are a little more difficult to make than the Candy Trains (see my other instructable), but with some practice, you will be making them in no time!

- These will be larger (approx. 6 inches by 6 1/2 inches) and needs to be handled with care when completed, so it would be better to give to older kids and adults.

You can buy the Hershey's Miniatures and Peppermint Swirls in bags, but the Candy Bars and Rolo have to be purchased individually.
Next time you go to a fast food restaurant, grab an extra plastic drinking straw for the bracing.
Here is a list of what you need (for one Biplane):

1 roll of Rolo Caramel Chews
3 Peppermint Swirls (get the ones that are in twisted plastic wrap)
2 Hershey's Miniatures
2 Flat Candy Bars (such as Hershey bar, Skor's bar, or whatever suits your fancy!)
1 plastic Drinking Straw

Tools:
A large workplace
Scissors
Hot glue gun and plenty of Non-Toxic glue sticks

WARNING: DO NOT USE ANY GLUE WITH TOXIC INGREDIENTS such as Super glue, Gorilla glue, Epoxy's, etc... The glue might seep into the candy which could lead to disasterous consequences :-(

The Drinking Straw will brace the Wings and Landing Gears, and will be used for the Propellor and Rear Skid.

Cut it into the following pieces:
- 2 (or 4) Wing Braces - this should be the same length as the width of the Rolo roll (approx. 1 inch long).
- 1 Wheel Axle - 1 1/2 inches long.
- 1 Propellor - 2 inches long, cut the ends at a 45 degree angle.
- 1 Rear Skid - 1/2 inch long, cut one end at a 45 degree angle.

tip:
If you start to cut the angled Propellor 1/2 inch away from the end of the straw, that 1/2 inch remaining piece will be the Rear Skid!

1) Put the two Hershey's Minatures end to end and put a bead of glue down the seam
2) Put a half-inch bead of glue along the edge of the Peppermint Swirl and glue to the middle of the Hershey's Miniatures

tip:
- Trial fit each step first.
- Use lots of glue: the more glue, the stronger the plane.
- Don't hesitate, as soon as you put the glue on, stick the pieces together!

1) Put a blob of glue on the face of a Peppermint Swirl and stand one end of the 1 1/2" Landing Gear Axle on it.
2) Set it aside to dry (you will glue the other wheel in a later step)

tip:
- The Peppermint Swirls have two faces, one with the seam (where the two ends of the plastic wrap overlaps) and the other side with no seam. I found out that it is better to glue the axle to the side with no seam .

1) Put a blob of glue near the ends of the Flat Candy Bar and immediately place the wing braces in them.
2) Put a wide bead of glue down the middle of the Candy Bar and place the Rolo roll on it. Make sure to have 1/4" of the Rollos roll (or the gold foil portion) overhang past the front of the wing. The gold foil will become the Engine Cowling (engine cover).

tip:
- Position the Candy Bar and Rolo roll so that the large logo's can be seen from the top and side.

By this time, the glue should be dry and strong to add the other wheel to the Landing gear Assembly.
1) Put a blob of glue on the other Peppermint Swirl (on the face with no seam).
2) Flip the completed Wheel & Brace onto it's side and press the newly glued Wheel onto the Brace. The whole assembly should be able to stand on it's own.

tip:
- Position the twists so that they match on both wheels.

1) Flip over the completed bottom wing assembly (the Biplane will be upside down)
2) Place the Top Wing upside down on the work surface
3) With one hand holding the Glue Gun and the other hand holding the Rolo, hover the Bottom Wing over the Top Wing and place a blob of glue under each wing brace. (this is the fastest way I found to place the glue where the braces will meet the top wing)
4) Place a wide seam of glue down the middle of the top Wing and place the whole Bottom Wing Assembly onto the Top Wing

tip:
-Position the Candy Bar logo so that the top and bottom wings match.
- If you want to use a stick-on Gift Tag, you can place it on the bottom of the Wing or on the Rolo roll opposite side of the Rolo logo.

1) Place a half-inch seam of glue on the same side of both Wheels and place the whole assembly on the middle fo the Bottom Wing.

tip:
- Position the twists so that they lie parallel with the wing, so that they are out of the way when the Biplane is upright.

1) Put a blob of glue on the far end of the Rollos roll and place the 1/2" angled straw (Landing Skid) on it.
2) Wait for everything to dry completely (takes around a couple of minutes)

tip:
- While you are waiting, you can trim the excess glue "strings" with scissors.

1) Turn the Biplane over once everything is dry and strong underneath.
2) Put a wide seam of glue on the top of the Rollos roll and place the Rear Tail assembly on it.

tip:
- You might have to hold the Rear Tail Assembly in position for a few seconds until the glue starts to take hold.

1) Put a bead of glue on the front of the Rollos roll
2) Place the 2" angled Straw (Propeller) onto the glue
3) Trim away any excess glue "strings" and you are done!!!

tip:
- You can position it any way you like, but I think having the Propeller at a 45 degree angle looks best.

By repositioning the wings and wheels, you can make a Staggerwing Sportplane variation.

By adding an additional wing (using the same method in step 7 above) you can make the famous Red Baron's triplane.

Here are pictures of Candy Biplanes that a co-worker hung on fishing line from the overhead ceiling tiles. (see if you can find the Paperclip Wing Walkers!)