In this STEAM maker project, students continue the “magic brush” design journey by turning a hand-drawn airplane idea into a laser-cut fighter jet model using LaserMaker. The lesson reviews image scanning, cropping, outlining, engraving, and cutting, then extends the activity with landing gear, welded plates, main wings, tail structure, bayonet-style joints, a small motor, and a propeller.

1. Lesson Overview

1.1 Project Goal

Students will draw an original fighter jet side view, scan it into LaserMaker, prepare a clean outer cutting contour, engrave the drawing, cut the airplane body, create a three-dimensional version with wings and landing gear, then explore an optional motor-and-propeller upgrade.

1.2 Recommended Classroom Use

2. Learning Objectives

2.1 What Students Will Learn

2.2 STEAM Skills Developed

2.3 Responsible Making

Students should operate the laser cutter only under teacher or lab supervisor guidance. Before cutting, check focus, layer output, material placement, and processing parameters. When adding a motor and propeller, keep hands, wires, and loose parts away from the rotating propeller, and test the model slowly under supervision.

3. Project Inspiration: From Car Inventor to Airplane Inventor

This lesson asks students to make a fighter jet model based on skills learned in the first lesson. The source project uses a BF109-style airplane as the model theme, but teachers can guide students to focus on general aircraft structure, model design, and safe maker practice.

4. Pre-Class Thinking Questions

Teachers can begin the lesson with aircraft comparison questions. These prompts help students observe structure, function, and design differences before they start drawing.

5. Lesson Procedure

5.1 Make a Single Silhouette Fighter Jet

Ask students to sketch the fighter jet they imagine. A side view works best for this project because it gives a clear fuselage outline that can be processed into a cutting contour.

Use a scanning app or another classroom-approved method to scan the drawing and import it into LaserMaker. First, use Picture > Crop to remove blank space around the image.

Next, use Picture > Outline to generate the airplane outline. Select and delete the inner outline, keeping only the outer contour for cutting. The original bitmap can remain for engraving so the student’s drawing is still visible on the finished model.

Double-click the layer parameter area in LaserMaker and set the engraving and cutting parameters for the plywood project. After checking the settings, send the file to the laser cutter for processing.

5.2 Make a Three-Dimensional Fighter Jet

Start by designing the large and small wheels for the landing gear, along with small wooden fixing rings. In the source workflow, the large wheel diameter is 15.53 mm and the small wheel diameter is 11 mm. Add a 3 mm center hole to each wheel position and use Array Copy to create multiple rings.

Next, design two welded plates for the fighter jet. The source workflow uses welded plates sized 22 mm by 55 mm, with card features sized 10 mm by 3 mm.

5.3 Draw the Tail and Main Wings

Draw a 50 mm by 20 mm rectangle for splicing the tail section of the fighter jet.

Use the curve and line drawing tool in LaserMaker to draw one side of the main wing. In the source workflow, students click to place points, drag to create arcs, and right-click to finish the drawing.

Copy and paste the wing, then mirror it for the opposite side. Draw a 22 mm by 95 mm rectangle and use the welding function to connect the wing to the rectangle. Repeat the welding operation for the other side of the wing.

Draw the corresponding bayonet-style joint features and place them according to the source layout. The source workflow lists the bayonet sizes as 20 mm by 2.80 mm, 35 mm by 3 mm, and 10 mm by 2.7 mm.

5.4 Assemble the Three-Dimensional Model

After all parts are designed, send the design file to the laser cutter for processing. Once the parts are cut, splice the welded plates, main wing, and tail into the airplane body. Use hot glue or white glue to reinforce the assembled structure where needed.

Attach the large and small wheels to the front and rear of the fighter jet using small sticks and wooden rings. In the source workflow, the large wheels are installed at the front and the small wheels are installed at the rear.

6. Laser Processing

Import the saved design files into the laser cutting machine for processing. Before processing, check material placement, engraving and cutting layers, and focal length. The source lesson reminds students to adjust the focus before cutting to reduce the risk of incomplete cuts.

7. Works Upgrade: Add a Motor and Propeller

To create a powered display model, students can add a small motor to the front of the fighter jet and install a propeller on the rotating shaft. This upgrade helps students connect the physical model with simple electrical motion.

8. Classroom Practice and Teaching Tips

8.1 Student Workflow

8.2 Teacher Suggestions

9. Reflection and Evaluation

9.1 Reflection Questions

9.2 Student and Peer Evaluation

Students can evaluate their own work and give peer feedback based on creativity, structural firmness, appearance, and learning attitude.

10. Finished Project and Sharing

At the end of the lesson, students can display their airplane models, explain how they designed the fuselage, wings, tail, landing gear, and optional motor upgrade, and discuss what they would improve in the next version.

11. Extension Challenge

After finishing the basic airplane model, students can redesign the wing shape, adjust the landing gear positions, improve the tail support, or compare different propeller and motor placements. They can also design an airport runway, hangar, display stand, or classroom flight-history exhibit to extend the project environment.

For a broader creative challenge, students can use the same draw-scan-process-cut-upgrade workflow to design other vehicles, such as gliders, helicopters, rockets, boats, trains, or future transportation concepts.

12. Equipment Note for Teachers

This project is suitable for classroom laser cutters that support engraving and cutting of thin plywood for student maker activities. For schools and beginner STEAM labs, projects like hand-drawn airplane models, wings, landing gear, and beginner LaserMaker activities can be completed with a classroom laser cutter such as the Thunder Laser Bolt Series.

Teachers can choose the machine and material setup based on classroom space, student supervision needs, material thickness, project size, and ventilation setup. Students should always test settings, check focus, and follow the school’s laser safety rules before final cutting.