NigG,
...The dope would be brushed on to the tissue paper to shrink it...
We used to call it "banana oil". And I've done my share of that, too. The balsa was ¼ in square, as I recall.
It was only rich boys who got gifts like the FROG Hawker Hart. £2/2/0 adjusted for Cost Inflation would be £105 today. Adjusted for Wage Inflation, it would be three times that figure - £315. Wage inflation is a far better comparison, as the key question was: How many hours did Dad have to work to buy this ?
Danny.