Build a cabin in the sky, suspend it from a balloon and soar away through the clouds on grand adventures with the Steampunk Airship, a fanciful wooden mini model zeppelin. This DIY mini dirigible has that throwback steampunk sensibility Ugears is known for, with a tugboat-style cabin and back porch, wind-up rubber band motor with Start/Stop switch, engine-driven propellers, spinning ship's wheel, movable stabilizers, and wheels that allow the model to turn back and forth up to 2m along a flat surface, giving the thrill of mechanical motion. Our whimsical Airship features only 170 parts and is rated "Easy" so that even beginners can build this fanciful flyer.
German inventor Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin worked on his concept and design for an inflatable airship for more than twenty years before patenting his invention in 1895. Perhaps one of his early sketches looked something like the Steampunk Airship? Commercial zeppelins have large cylindrical bodies made of fabric stretched over a rigid metallic frame containing the large gasbags that provide buoyancy. Our Airship is smaller-scaled, more personal and homey—you can imagine piloting your craft with a cup of tea on the table where you've spread out your navigational maps.
The Steampunk Airship is a fun, easy DIY project for anyone interested in aviation or model building. You won't need glue or special tools to build this retro wooden model Airship. With Ugears 3D puzzles and models you just punch the laser pre-cut pieces out of their art-quality composite wood boards and snap them together. Everything you need comes in the box, including instructions in 11 languages (Ukrainian, English, German, French, Polish, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese, Chinese and Korean). Model kits also include a piece of sandpaper and wax so you can smooth and lubricate the moving parts to ensure smooth operation of your Steampunk Airship.
The creative process doesn't have to end once the model is assembled. Keep those juices flowing by painting, coloring or staining your Steampunk Airship in a color scheme of your choice (paints not included). Ugears models also look great in their natural wood state. Then engage in imaginative play, dreaming of the fields, lakes, mountains or oceans you will cross in your personal dirigible.
The Steampunk Airship joins the Mini Biplane, Mad Hornet, and Aviator (with interchangeable airplane and helicopter components) models in our Ugears family of fabulous flyers. The toy-like appearance and simple mechanics of the Airship make this charming mini model a great gift for your child, grandchild, niece or nephew. When you introduce young builders to the fascinating world of Ugears 3D puzzles, DIY model kits, automatons, robots, wooden puzzle boxes and STEM Lab model kits they don't just build delightful toys, they build mechanical competence. This lightly challenging DIY model will be a fun project for families to work on together, and a great addition to any child's bedroom decor.
