Log in
Search
Latest topics
» A choke-tube with velocity-stack configured Beeby roddie Today at 8:23 am
» WenMac 049 - Glow Plug & Head Gasket replacements?
by Ken Cook Today at 8:06 am
» Prop Rod - resto to a runner
by rsv1cox Today at 7:32 am
» Jim Walkers FireBee - This is going to be fun
by cstatman Yesterday at 6:58 pm
» Hawk had breakfast and then took a bath
by rdw777 Yesterday at 5:38 pm
» Jim Walker Firebaby
by rdw777 Yesterday at 4:58 pm
» Nostalgia alert, my 1959 Corvette revisited
by rsv1cox Yesterday at 2:25 pm
» Prayers for my Wife Please
by akjgardner Yesterday at 10:28 am
» Cox prop rod
by Wiggy Fri May 17, 2024 4:30 pm
» "Red Neck" .049 elec. starter
by getback Fri May 17, 2024 7:19 am
» Cox prop rod
by Wiggy Fri May 17, 2024 5:35 am
» Looking For Comet Tri-Pacer
by latole Fri May 17, 2024 3:45 am
Canopy "painting" day..
Page 1 of 1
Canopy "painting" day..
I'd been putting-off detailing the canopies of some of my airplanes.. mostly because I'd never painted my model's canopies. The weather was cooperating for painting.. so I decided to go for it. (you know how it is... when you want to paint..)
The "kits" I'd built in the last 30 years were furnished with ready-molded clear-plastic canopies.... but I'd designed a handful of 1/2A control-line models in recent-years; having wooden (profile) canopies.. needing some type of detail to make them look somewhat authentic.. so I decided to buy some "sky-blue" aerosol... and have-at-it on four of my current models.
The "paint" that I chose is an aerosol currently offered by Rust-Oleum..
which I applied directly over the previous finishes on the four models.
The "kits" I'd built in the last 30 years were furnished with ready-molded clear-plastic canopies.... but I'd designed a handful of 1/2A control-line models in recent-years; having wooden (profile) canopies.. needing some type of detail to make them look somewhat authentic.. so I decided to buy some "sky-blue" aerosol... and have-at-it on four of my current models.
The "paint" that I chose is an aerosol currently offered by Rust-Oleum..
which I applied directly over the previous finishes on the four models.
Re: Canopy "painting" day..
Roddie, light blue is always a good choice. I had this single can of Perfect sky blue enamel for 30+ years. I finally used it all up. I loved that paint and it worked awesome for canopies. Every canopy I did on a profile received that paint. Even the clear plastic canopies got this paint on the inside prior to gluing it on.
Ken Cook- Top Poster
- Posts : 5489
Join date : 2012-03-27
Location : pennsylvania
Re: Canopy "painting" day..
I had prematurely clicked the "send" button when writing.. Here's the missing model-photos.. (all self-designed)
My Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat Rare-Bear self-designed for the 1st (2014) CEF U-Control 1/2A Proto-Speed contest. (model not flown yet..)
My Lockheed Tee-33-Dee.. Shooting-Star.. self-designed for the 2nd (2015) CEF U-Control 1/2A Proto-Speed contest; The T33 model was originally designed to utilize a take-off dolly... but the dolly's design stalled the entire project.
My tiny "Flying-Blind" airplane; self-designed for the 4th (2018) CEF U-Control speed contest.
My self-designed 1/2A (1/2" scale) U-Control Lockheed P-38 Lightning model..
My Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat Rare-Bear self-designed for the 1st (2014) CEF U-Control 1/2A Proto-Speed contest. (model not flown yet..)
My Lockheed Tee-33-Dee.. Shooting-Star.. self-designed for the 2nd (2015) CEF U-Control 1/2A Proto-Speed contest; The T33 model was originally designed to utilize a take-off dolly... but the dolly's design stalled the entire project.
My tiny "Flying-Blind" airplane; self-designed for the 4th (2018) CEF U-Control speed contest.
My self-designed 1/2A (1/2" scale) U-Control Lockheed P-38 Lightning model..
Re: Canopy "painting" day..
Wow roddie. Those all look great, and the color is great for canopies. If I had not seen it on a plane, I would very easily pass it by thinking it would not look that good.
NEW222- Top Poster
- Posts : 3892
Join date : 2011-08-13
Age : 45
Location : oakbank, mb
Re: Canopy "painting" day..
Roddie,
They all look super!
I gotta ask...How do you hold the cowl on Rare Bear? Screws? What size, how many?
My Scientific P-40 cowl has been cut to fit around the AP .061 Wasp on it. In the past I glued the cowls on, but have
destroyed one trying to remove it for engine maintenance.
I haven't come up with a good method that allows for removal.
Thanks in advance!
They all look super!
I gotta ask...How do you hold the cowl on Rare Bear? Screws? What size, how many?
My Scientific P-40 cowl has been cut to fit around the AP .061 Wasp on it. In the past I glued the cowls on, but have
destroyed one trying to remove it for engine maintenance.
I haven't come up with a good method that allows for removal.
Thanks in advance!
944_Jim- Diamond Member
-
Posts : 1964
Join date : 2017-02-08
Age : 59
Location : NE MS
Re: Canopy "painting" day..
944_Jim wrote:Roddie,
They all look super!
I gotta ask...How do you hold the cowl on Rare Bear? Screws? What size, how many?
My Scientific P-40 cowl has been cut to fit around the AP .061 Wasp on it. In the past I glued the cowls on, but have
destroyed one trying to remove it for engine maintenance.
I haven't come up with a good method that allows for removal.
Thanks in advance!
Hi Jim, "Thanks"!! (also thanks to Ken and Chancey) Since the Rare Bear hasn't flown yet.. I don't really know how well the cowl will hold-up.. but it's more "what I used" for a cowl.. in combination with the firewall-design, which assists in the mounting. There are only two small (#3 x 3/8"L.) wood-screws used.. but there are four radial "tabs" protruding from the firewall which fit just inside the cowl and against a "shoulder". The cowl is a cap from an air-freshener refill cartridge. That shoulder inside the cap, acts as a "stop" when it's on the aerosol-can.
The model's profile-fuse "nose" was designed to use that cowl/cap from the start.. by sizing it to fit just inside the cap.
The top and bottom of the fuse have 1/4" sq. hardwood-rails extending from the nose; well-rearward. This provided for the two cowl-screws.. and also to strengthen the entire fuse.
Then the firewall was designed to utilize the four "tabs".
This model (as most of my other designs..) uses 3/8" sq. hardwood blocks epoxied vertically behind a plywood firewall-plate, to rigidly mount the engine. The "tabs" are then measured.. and attached/glued to the tops/bottoms of the blocks.
I enjoy this aspect of designing/building.. although many would see it as a PIA. At some point I decided to orient the engine-cylinder horizontally.. rather than the original vertical/upright position.
Re: Canopy "painting" day..
Jim.. give my cowl-attachment method a second or even third look. The toughest part of fitting a "scratch-built" engine-cowling is in the measuring. Once I calculated a couple of coordinates for a Cox .049 "product-engine".. I used a 1" hole-saw to cut the cylinder and crankshaft-reliefs in the cap/cowl. These measurements came straight-off the firewall in relation to the engine.. and transferred to the cowling; forward of the "shoulder" which locates it against the nose.
Designing/building the airplane's nose to "spec." really simplifies this task.
Designing/building the airplane's nose to "spec." really simplifies this task.
Re: Canopy "painting" day..
Hi Roddie,
Thanks for the details! I appreciate the effort spent documenting your method. I'll come back and study the pics in depth over the next few days...that's for sure!
I see what looks like hardwood dowels for engine block screws, and your hardwood blocks.
I think I can "borrow" some of this for the Profile P40. The kit's cowl comes amost 1/4" behind the firewall, and fits the firewall pretty snugly. I'm considering sheet metal tabs or wooden blocks behind the firewall, or sinking a few small dowels into the firewall for small screws ( I will look into this option closely). While I want the cowl on the plane, it really doesn't need to be permanent/hard fixed. It does need to be there for at least one photo op, especially in flight.
Again, thanks a bunch. I like your builds!
Thanks for the details! I appreciate the effort spent documenting your method. I'll come back and study the pics in depth over the next few days...that's for sure!
I see what looks like hardwood dowels for engine block screws, and your hardwood blocks.
I think I can "borrow" some of this for the Profile P40. The kit's cowl comes amost 1/4" behind the firewall, and fits the firewall pretty snugly. I'm considering sheet metal tabs or wooden blocks behind the firewall, or sinking a few small dowels into the firewall for small screws ( I will look into this option closely). While I want the cowl on the plane, it really doesn't need to be permanent/hard fixed. It does need to be there for at least one photo op, especially in flight.
Again, thanks a bunch. I like your builds!
944_Jim- Diamond Member
-
Posts : 1964
Join date : 2017-02-08
Age : 59
Location : NE MS
Similar topics
» Painting and covering
» Opinions on airbrushes/spray guns
» PAINTING-2019
» Painting a Spinner
» Advice on painting please
» Opinions on airbrushes/spray guns
» PAINTING-2019
» Painting a Spinner
» Advice on painting please
Page 1 of 1
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum