History you can build

Make a little history.

Created by the Restoring What Was Lost History Workshop

We created these printable paper models for hands-on education. Anyone is welcome to download, print, and build them for classrooms, history activities, and projects at home.

Made to sit together at an approximate 1:36 scale: one inch represents three feet. The collection matches the airplane’s 6-inch wingspan.

Choose a printable How to print & build

Download, print, build

The printable collection

Start with the four-wing airplane, or build a miniature brickyard one piece at a time.

Featured project Assembled paper display model of the Sellers quadroplane, with four staggered cream wings, wooden-style supports, and a raised motor with a front propeller

Assembled paper display model of the Sellers quadroplane, with four staggered cream wings, wooden-style supports, and a raised motor with a front propeller

6-inch wingspan · Approx. 1:36

Kentucky aviation history

Matthew B. Sellers’s quadroplane

Explore an unusual early airplane with four separate, staggered wings. This simplified, 1908-inspired paper display model includes a completed-model view and a step-by-step assembly guide. Its motor sits on the second wing, with the propeller facing forward.

Start with the four-wing airplane6-inch wingspan · 5 pages · PortraitDownload 6-inch model PDF

Historical context: the Aviation Museum of Kentucky’s Sellers replica.

Illustrations of tan and red assembled paper brick stacks, each 1⅓ inches square

Brickyard scenery

Little stacks of bricks

Make four small brick stacks, two tan and two red. Each finishes 1⅓ inches square and about ⅚ inch tall.

Approx. 1:36 · Four stacks · PortraitDownload brick stacks PDF · 2 pages

Illustrations of an assembled old-style paper car and flatbed work truck

Road transport

Old car & truck

Add a Model T-style car about 3¾ inches long and a flatbed work truck about 5.42 inches long. Both fit the shared miniature scene.

Approx. 1:36 · Two vehicles · PortraitDownload car & truck PDF · 4 pages

Illustration of an assembled paper steam engine, coal tender, and brick flatcar

Rail transport

Early steam train

Build a steam engine, coal tender, and flatcar, about 16 inches long before the gaps. Add loads from the separate brick-stack kit.

Approx. 1:36 · Portrait & landscape pagesDownload steam train PDF · 6 pages

Red-and-white Louisville Fire Brick Works building signs and assembled standing paper signs

Finishing details

Brickyard signs

Red-and-white Louisville Fire Brick Works signs and small yard signs help bring the miniature scene together.

Approx. 1:36 · Red & white · PortraitDownload brickyard signs PDF · 2 pages

Before you begin

A few tips for a good build.

These are representative, simplified display models for educational activities. The shared scale helps the pieces look right together; individual details and dimensions are creative approximations. Try a plain-paper copy first to check the fit.

Print at the right size
Choose US Letter, single-sided, and Actual size / 100%. Let your printer select each page’s orientation automatically. Most pages are portrait; the train includes landscape parts.
Choose your paper
Cardstock makes sturdier models. Try a plain-paper copy first to check the folds and fit.
Take your time
Use the completed-model views and print instructions inside the model PDFs, then follow the cutting and folding guides. An adult can help younger builders with small parts, careful cuts, and glue.

Created by the Restoring What Was Lost History Workshop for hands-on learning. You’re welcome to print copies and use them in your educational activities.