Balsa wood has long been revered for its strength and lightweight composition, two properties that make it ideal for building model structures and airplanes. Researchers from the US and China have ...

Soon after, Guillow designed a line of balsa flying model construction kits—scale models built from a wood frame, then covered with light tissue stiffened with a substance called dope.

The model proved too nose-heavy in its maiden flight ... This allowed the tiny balsa dinosaur to really take off, flying long enough to have some very close encounters with buildings and trees.