I create museum-quality custom wooden airplane replicas using drawings that I make from worldwide resources that are accurate to within one inch. The replicas range in size from 1/40th to 1/6th scale with wing spans of 3 feet up to 8 feet. The scale number represents the fraction of the size of the actual aircraft. 

My History. I’ve had a lifelong passion for aviation, carving wood and the mathematical exactness of scale drawings. I have an engineering degree from Washington University in St. Louis and an MBA from Colorado State University. For nearly 3 decades I traveled in the US and abroad for IBM, collecting US patents for optics and mechanics, as well as gathering a world of experience in test labs, developing new products and working with customers in the US and Europe.

Types of Replicas. My collection of nearly two dozen replicas include historically famous military and commercial planes. They range from the Caravelle and Concorde to the P-51 Mustang and the F-14 Tomcat. My largest replicas in width and length at 1/30th scale are my C-5’s.  Certainly one of the most complicated — though they all had their challenges — is the SR-71 Blackbird, as it has few straight lines.  

Working With My Scale Drawings. Handmade scale drawings are created for each component including the wings, fuselage, rudders, stabilizers, engines and occasionally propellers. These drawings include cross-sections that are typically located at every replica-inch and closer, if necessary. I can make a replica of any military or commercial aircraft, including helicopters, as I have drawings for virtually all of them gathered from aviation companies, obscure bookstores and collectors from around the world.

Constructing The Replicas. My airplane replicas are constructed from standard one-inch white pine planks that I buy at the local lumber yard and are sealed with neutral color stain. Although the planks are laminated to prevent warping, white pine doesn’t readily split. The wood is easy to work with hand tools and, of course, is inherently beautiful with color tones from rose to off white. 

List of Replicas, Followed by Scale:  Boeing 707 1/40th, Boeing B-52 1/40th, Boeing 747 1/40 scale, Boeing B-29 1/20th, Caravelle SE-210 1/20th, Douglas DC-10 1/30th, Lockheed SR-71 1/14th, North American P-51D Mustang 1/6th, Concorde 1/24th, Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk 1/10th, Grumman F-14 Tomcat 1/10th, Lockheed C-5 Galaxy 1/30th. I’m currently creating the Messerschmitt ME-262 at 1/6th scale.

View Aviation Scale Replicas Photo Gallery.  This is a collection of 24 photos showing the range of my replicas of military and commercial planes. Tap each photo to see a larger view.  You can tell from the photos that include me (I’m in the photos to show relative size)  that these replicas have taken many decades to complete.

View C-5 Replicas Construction Photo Gallery. This is a separate collection of photos that show how the replica of the US Air Force C-5, in particular, was constructed starting with pine boards from the lumber yard. My replicas, whether they are the DC-10s, F-14 Tomcats, or any of the others, were made in the same handmade process.

Aviation Scale Replicas Summary.  To see a list of all replicas with details of weight, size and date finished, go here.

Contact me at genekorte@aol.com.