Restoring the Airfoil

A balsa glider lay caught in the slats of the wooden staging rack. Its thin paper rudder was crimped by a heavy zinc washer left behind during evening maintenance. Allowing flight-capable craft to remain impaired under morning air currents was out of the question. I anchored my stabilizers against the weathered timber and wedged my forearm armor beneath the zinc weight. With steady upward leverage, I cleared the load. Aligning the balsa empennage between my manipulators, I smoothed the fold true. I berthed the lightweight vessel facing the open horizon, primed for launch.