This was my suggestion for a question about supporting a shuttlecock. I think the same would work for this design. I would bend copper tubing into that shape and cover it with fondant strips, with a portion of the tubing holding up the airplane. Modeling chocolate works great for this, it is light weight and pliable.
“This is the way I did the waffle cake with the suspended syrup bottle. Buy some copper tubing at the hardware store, I think what I bought was 1/2” width opening. I used a double cake board, 2 boards glued together. Make a hole in the center of the two boards the same size as the diameter of the copper tubing. Bend one end of the tubing with a pair of pliers about 1 1/2" up the tube. Flatten that bent piece with a hammer. Feed the tubing up through the bottom of the board. Hot glue the flattened end under the bottom board, go back and forth in two directions over the bent part to make sure it is well sealed to the board. Let it cool and then cut the tubing to the length of the ball part of the shuttlecock, even a bit shorter so it won’t show. Wrap the tubing with a ribbon of fondant to seal it so it doesn’t touch the cake or you could use white floral tape. Slip the ball shaped cake over the straight end of the tubing and slide it down onto the cake board. Personally I would make the ball part of the cake larger than a real shuttlecock and make the feathers of gumpaste. Probably floral wire or toothpick the feathers while soft and allow to dry, then stick into the cake. Hope this makes sense and helps."
Shirley
