Certainly a novice can build an airplane. In fact I encourage everyone to do it, its a skill that every modeler should have.

There was a quote in this month's Model Aviation magazine that I memorized, and it is one of the best ones I have ever heard.

"Give a pilot an airplane and he flies 'til he crashes. Teach a pilot to build and he flies for a lifetime" - Paul K Johnson

I sincerly believe this is exactly correct. A modeler that can build a plane will be a modeler for life. I remember when I first got interested in model aviation. My dad had been flying for years. I asked him to build me a plane so I could fly. My dad just mumbled "Uh huh". I waited about a week, hoping my dad would soon start building me a plane.

The following saturday, my dad handed me a cardboard box. Enclosed was a Prarie Bird....in kit form. He said "You want a plane to fly, you build it, and dont mess it up" I looked at all those pieces of balsa and these plans that looked like some form of strange nuclear physics. I went into the garage, layed out the plans on a large wooden board, and started reading the instructions. It took me three days before I was ready to start laying out the first pieces. I started laying out the pieces of balsa, and gluing them together. It took me nearly three weeks just to get the fuselage done. All the while my dad would come take a look, and then go back in the house without uttering a word. I finally got the fuselage done, and started on the wings. Two weeks later I had the wing completely built. I brought it all to my dad, to show him my work. He said "The wing is warped, you didnt build it straight." He handed me another cardboard box with a bunch of fresh balsa. He said "Take the plans and use them to cut all new pieces for the wing, then build it straight." Im sure the look on my face was less than happy. Now let me tell you....cutting all new pieces for a wing from scratch is NO easy job. Eventually, I finished building another wing, with a little help from pop.

I flew that prarie bird till the fuselage was soaked with fuel. I never crashed that plane. I still have it, it sits in the shop.

Since that time, I have built every plane I own with my own two hands...and I've been flying for my lifetime.