CardBoard Plane: Jet Blue Plane Replica

This project is quite obvious. This is a jetBlue airplane replica. This type of plane is very rare as it was dedicated to the New York City fire department. Keep in mind this is not exact as I had added a few details that I thought made the plane stand out. The main skeleton of this plane is crafted from cardboard with two metal C channel supports. The wings and tail fin are also created from cardboard along with the jet engines. The plane is rapped in paper and painted. Also, the main controller for the lights is located in the cockpit and has wires attached to the wing lights and tail fin light. One more thing, the plain is hand painted. There was a lot of work put into it and took two weeks to build.

I built this plane to show people that a lot of things could be made from cardboard, not just boxes. In fact cardboard is a very useful artistic tool, it just takes the artist to look "outside the box." A man by the name of Albert Szent Györgyi once said "Discovery consists of looking at the same thing as everyone else and thinking something different." This is a very important concept that I want share with everyone. Although creating something from cardboard can look difficult, you will never discover the enjoyment of working with it unless you look out side the box. With that said, I hope you enjoy building this airplane.

lots of cardboard

paper

glue

paint: red, white, and blue

four metal C channels

an Arduino

LEDs: red, green, and white

lots of wire

a 2k resister

overall length: 2 feet

Begin with a large box, about 2 feet tall. Draw out the main shape of the plane and 6 circles with a diameter the width of the plane.

The next step is too cut out the drawings you made in the previous step.

Take each circle you cut out and cut those in half to make 12 half circles (I made a few extra).

This step requires two C channels and the shape cut out of the plane. Drill two holes, one in the front and one in the back of the shape cut out of the plane. Attach the two C channels, one on the top and one on the bottom. follow the pictures.

Take each half circle that you made and cut a square the width and depth of the C channel used.

Glue 6 of the half circles onto one of the C channels (it does not matter). Space them out exactly like the picture.

Next, cut out two tail fins in the exact shape as in the picture

attach the two pieces of the tail fin exactly like the picture.

For this step, glue four half circles to the bottom C channel and screw a thin strip of cardboard to the back of the plain exactly like the picture. Space the half circles exactly like the picture.

Screw the Arduino controller to the inside of the cockpit. Follow the picture. Attach the USB cord to the Arduino.

Screw a thin piece of cardboard and a small piece of metal the width of the piece of cardboard to the front of the plane to create the shape of the cockpit. Follow the picture presented.

Cut out and glue the wings to the sides of the plane toward the center. Also cut out a long thin piece of cardboard the length of the C channel. Lastly, cut out a smaller piece of cardboard to shape the bottom side of the nose as presented in the picture.

Cut out 8 thin strips of cardboard the length of the C channel. Lay them across all of the half circles on the top side so that the top is covered completely.

Screw two L brackets to the top of the tail fin like the image presented.

Make 2 more wings half the size of the previous ones. Screw these to the L brackets that were just attached to the tail fin.

In order to make the engines cut out two rectangles and bend them just like the first picture. Create the engines and place them one on each wing as shown in the second image. Also, craft two wide 2 inch thick rectangles the length of the C channel and glue them to the side of the plane right under the wing. Follow the pictures.

Cut out thin strips just like the first image presented. Make another thin strip to go in between the strips previously made. Cut out a longer strip of cardboard and glue it to the underside of the plane as presented in the last picture. Cut the strip so that it is not hanging out and glue the end to the end of the plane.

Create an Engine just like the previous two except you need to attach a longer piece of cardboard the width of the engine. Follow the pictures. Attach the engine to the plane just like the second image.

Place a green and white LED on the right wing and a red and white LED on the left wing. Lastly, place a red LED to the top of the tail fin right in the center.

Create the circuit above and place it into the plane. Make sure that the wires are secured to the plane.

Test the lights and circuit to make sure they work and rap tape around the entire plane except for the wings and tail fin.

Take one long C channel and one small C channel and create the stand seen in the last picture.

Rap the front of the plane in paper and also add a sheet onto the middle part of the plane. follow the image.

Paint it just like the images above.

Follow the code in the picture. Download it to your Arduino with the USB cord.

Thank you! If you have any questions please leave them in comment box below. Also, if you can, please tell me what you thought of this project by leaving a comment.