Guillow's Classic Balsa Airplanes

I received these Guillow's Classic Balsa Airplanes for review.  All opinions are my own.

With Spring in the area, it is a perfect time to get outside and fly an airplane!  Building Models was a hobby that my husband enjoyed with his father as a young age so he was excited to experience this same thing with our son.  My husband and son have always been into airplanes and they loved the different styles that were available.

About Guillow's Classic Balsa Airplanes

"The 4500 Series starts with the U.S. Hellcat or U.S. Warhawk each with red propellers. The handsome German Fighter has distinctive black markings on its wingtips while the American war models sport patriotic blue. The non-military Rockstar Jet, V-Tail and Stunt Flyer round out the six miniModels. All kits in the 4500 Series have precision laser cut balsa wood parts for easy building and contain a rubber band motor for long flights. These are ideal model airplanes for young pilots to span the gap between Guillow's simple toy gliders and larger model construction kits. For decades, the company has been making fun balsa gliders and model construction kits for older kids and adults alike." 

These kids include everything that you need to build your Guillow's Classic Balsa Airplanes except the glue.  They are a perfect activity for a model hobbyist, teen or father/son pair.  As  mentioned above, its a great starting point to learn the basics of building before going on to more complicated models.  These models come ready to build with laser cut wood and all of the pieces.  It is not an easy set.  I think it is important to note that this is recommended for ages 13 and older.  The pieces are really delicate, and in building, younger ages could break them.  My son is 11 and we found that he was a great age working along side his father, but not to build it alone. 

My husband takes his building very seriously, so he got everything out, lined up and ready to build.  He preferred a precision knife because some of the pieces were more detailed and he didn't want them to break.  It took him about an hour to build each airplane.  I was surprised by how much detail was involved in each airplane.

As you can tell from the photo above, this is not a cheaply put together airplane.  It is quality balsa wood and each piece is perfectly and precisely cut for perfection. Typically a wing would only consist of one piece, but in this detailed set, you can see from the photo above how much detail is in each individual airplane. 

Here we are about 45 minutes into the process.  The instructions are easy to follow for ages 13+ and again, younger ages would need the help of a parent or grandparent.  It would be such a great hobby to start.  My son and husband really have some special memories that they have built together around building these Balsa Airplanes.

 These kits include rubber band motor for long flights up to 50 feet.   We were able to play right in our backyard, but it would also be fun to take them to the park near our house so we could have airplane races between the kids.  The rubber band motor winds up tight so you can get the best flight possible.  You can wind it up by turn the propellor.  My 11 year old son was able to fly the plane just fine by himself, but I found that my younger kids, 5 and 9, needed more assistance.  One the rubber band is winding, throw your airplane and enjoy watching it fly!

The thing that I love most about the Guillow's Classic Balsa Airplanes is that it is a complete learning process for your child.  They can learn every step from following directions, building, having patience, paying attention to small details, and then when they are finished they get the enjoyment of playing with their creation.  I always find that gets appreciate things better and enjoy them more when more time and attention has been put into putting them together.

 Guillow's Classic Balsa Airplanes are an amazing affordable price of only $8.99 per kit.  They are a fun hobby item that I would recommend collecting, building and flying them all.

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