Make a perpendicular hole through the tail and fit the tail onto the rear spur. Make sure the tail is not crooked, then glue and bind with thread.

Insert wing lever wires through the wing hinge tubes. Bend the wires as close as possible to the hinge tubes to hold the wings on, bending in the same plane as the wing lever. Cut off excess wire. Wings should swing freely and should be perpendicular to the fuselage.

Now apply the tissue covering to the tail. First apply a thin coat of white glue (dilute with 3 parts water for best results) to the upper surface of the frame. Then apply the model tissue and smooth out wrinkles before the glue dries. Let it sit until dry, then trim off the excess with a new, sharp razor blade. Keep the tissue dry.

For the wings, spread the tissue flat on your work surface. Tissue grain will be perpendicular to the wing spars. Coat the top of the wing spars and pylon with glue and press the structure onto the tissue, keeping the tissue flat. Once the glue dries, trace and cut the wing outline.

Slide the free ends of the conrods onto the wing lever wires. The rear conrod must go on the left wing. Turning the crank should drive the wings in a smooth, symmetrical motion.

Cut two aluminum tube retainers 1/8" long and slip them onto the wing lever wires. Leave some space between the conrods and retainers. Crimp each retainer with pliers and add a small drop of glue to the outer end to hold it in place. As the conrods loosen up, you may need a retainer on the crank as well.

All that's left is to install the rubber band. Cut an 18" length of 1/8" model airplane rubber. Tie as shown. Apply rubber lube. Double the rubber band and hook it over the front and rear motor hooks, with the knot in the back. Your ornithopter is now ready for flight adjustments.

Next step: Flight