October 2003 151
I HAVE DONE business with companies (I
assume they are companies since they
advertise in model magazines) lately, with
some exasperating results. Although I would
like to single them out, I won’t since it
probably wouldn’t accomplish anything.
After ordering parts, kits, etc., I waited not
days or weeks, but months before I finally
called, only to be given the usual story (like
“the check is in the mail!”). After waiting
several more months, I wrote a letter
threatening to notify the postal authorities.
When I mentioned my plight to my flying
buddies, their comments were unanimous that
they didn’t do business with this particular
outfit for the same reason. I bring this up to
warn you that there are people out there who
are not particularly good for the hobby. It
would be nice to have a sounding board to
inform us (before we order) about some of
these characters. Had I asked my buddies
about this company first, obviously I would
not have done business with it.
The model-railroad businesses are even
worse. I waited more than a year for some
switches and almost two years for a particular
kit. This problem was solved after some
serious letter-writing.
So before parting with your hard-earned
money, check with your friends to see if they
have had any trouble with the company in
question. With the lack of good model shops,
we are forced, so to speak, to mail order.
However, I have never had any trouble
ordering from the large model-supply
companies.
I have wanted to build a model of the
Sopwith 11⁄2-Strutter for the longest time, but
I have shied away from it because of the “W”
cabane struts. Since I plan on building a
Strutter that has diesel power, I have to have
the W made from piano wire.
As a warmer-upper for the Strutter, I
thought I would build the Hanriot World War
I airplane that also has the W cabane. After
some serious thought, I came up with a plan
that will be simple to do. (See Figure 1.)
I am using 1⁄32-inch piano wire for all of
the struts; therefore, the brass tubing has a 1⁄32-
inch inside diameter. Normally I would use
aluminum tubing to save a bit of weight, but I
have to solder the center part of the cabane
onto the tube. Note that the end of the cabane
wire is bent up.
I have opted to have the struts plug into
aluminum tubing embedded in the respective
ribs, which are reinforced with 1⁄64 plywood
on either side of the tubing. The Hanriot has a
gap between the two upper-half wings, so
each end rib will have its own aluminum tube
so the center part of the W can plug into them.
Fernando Ramos, 19361 Mesa Dr., Villa Park CA 92861; E-mail: [email protected]
FREE FLIGHT SCALE
As shown in Figure 2, you can bend the
top ends of the cabanes and lace them onto the
ribs. I prefer my method since the wires will
not be in the way during covering and
painting. When the latter is completed, the
wings can be plugged into place.
The Strutter does not have a gap between
the upper wings, so I plan to wrap the center
parts with fine wire and solder them together.
Then they will plug into a tube that has been
squeezed enough to allow that part of the
cabane to be easily inserted.
Only the part of the rib where the
aluminum tube goes has to be thick enough to
accommodate the tube. The whole center rib
doesn’t have to be made thicker; you don’t
want to destroy the wing’s appearance.
What I like about this setup is that the
upper wing can be covered and doped before
it has to be installed on the fuselage. Only the
center part of the cabane is in the way.
Do you ever want just a microdot of
cyanoacrylate glue (CyA)? Getting one is
difficult, even with a new tip, but there is one
simple way to do it.
Place a drop of CyA on the eye of a
sewing needle, then transfer it onto whatever
you have to glue. The surface tension of the
CyA will bridge across the eye, and that
makes it possible to get a small dot. Don’t
forget to clean the needle afterward.
Rib Stitching: Not everyone wants to go
152 MODEL AVIATION
through this tedious task. However, it is a
requirement even for Free Flight(FF) if you
are competing seriously, especially at the
British Nationals. For those of you who want
to add this technique to your modeling
repertoire, following is my approach.
Obtain a smooth piece of hardwood (I
suppose you could use balsa) that is slightly
longer than the wing’s chord. Its width is
determined by how many ribs your wing has.
I will explain this further after you see the
process.
(On full-scale-aircraft rib stitching,
spacing is determined by the airplane’s speed,
and stitches need to be closer in the propeller
stream. You don’t need to go through all of
this for a model because you are just trying to
create the proper illusion of rib stitching. So
for our modeling needs, the spacing doesn’t
need to be prototypical; it only needs to look
right.)
After deciding how far apart you want the
stitching, draw parallel lines across the width
of the board and continue them over the side.
Place a small nail where the line is on the side
of the board. I utilize small brass nails that are
used for making full-scale wing ribs, but an
equivalent will work fine. A nail that is too
large will throw things off and get in the way.
Cut a piece of the finest tissue you can
find that is exactly the size of the board. Place
the tissue on the board with the shiny side up,
and secure it on the edges only with Scotch
tape or a couple drops of white glue. Wrap
fine thread from one nail across to the next
nail, going back and forth until the entire
board is “laced” with parallel threads. Brush
several coats of nitrate dope over the thread
and tissue.
When this has dried thoroughly and you
are confident that the thread is secure to the
tissue, it’s time for the next step. The stitching
can be applied after the wings and tail are
covered and doped. You will be cutting across
the tissue/thread. The width is determined by
the size of the balsa used to make the ribs.
(For 1⁄32-inch-thick ribs, cut a strip that is 1⁄32-
inch wide.)
Place this narrow strip over a rib and
attach it to the wing using a fine brush and
acetone or MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone).
When all of the ribs are covered, brush/spray
on another coat of nitrate dope.
You’re not finished yet; the rib tapes are
next! I usually make mine roughly 1⁄8-inch
wide, regardless of the model’s size, because
it looks right. (Remember that you are trying
to create the illusion.)
I cover all of my models with white tissue
since I plan on spraying a color. I do not want
to use white tissue for making the rib tapes, so
I use yellow. It provides contrast against the
white and makes alignment much easier.
Now that you know the procedure, how
wide should the board be? It isn’t critical,
except that if you run out of the tissue/thread
material because your board wasn’t wide
enough, you will have to repeat the process.
You probably do not want to do that.
Therefore, compute to see how many 1⁄32s or
1⁄16s you need, plus a little extra to determine
the width of the board.
It takes time to carry out this procedure,
but is it worth it? It is to me; you have to
decide whether or not you want to take the
time. The technique is not difficult; it’s just
time-consuming.
I got the following hint from my English
friend Lindsey Smith. To make engine
cylinders—unless you are using William
Bros. cylinders—the typical approach is to
wrap rounded balsa with thread. It looks good
if it is done correctly. Lindsey spins a coarse
threaded nut onto the rounded balsa. It
produces realistic-looking fins. The results are
nice, and it takes virtually no time at all.
I wanted to make a really light radial
engine using round Styrofoam, so I gave
Lindsey’s technique a try. I used what is
called a castle nut, which is employed when a
cotter pin is required at the end of a bolt. I
opted for this nut since it gives you more
material to hold onto than a regular nut.
However, an ordinary nut works fine.
You have to be careful with the foam. You
don’t want to squeeze it so hard that you
distort it or snap it in half. If you take care, it
looks good and is light.
When I was restoring the wings on my 1949
Bellanca Cruisair, I encountered a problem
that could have been disastrous! After 50
years, the wood between the ribs had started
to sink in. After stripping the fabric, which
took countless hours, I filled and sanded until
the wings almost looked like fiberglass.
Right after I bought the airplane, I had
painted it with enamel, which, at that time,
you could still buy in California. I did not
strip the fabric from the underside of the
wings because they do not see the light of day
and everything looked fine.
When I sprayed butyrate on the bottom,
the results were devastating. The enamel
curdled almost as if I was using paint
remover. The main thing is that I did not want
to have to remove the fabric from the
plywood-covered wings.
I went to a local auto-paint store to find
out if there was a product that would act as a
barrier between the enamel and the butyrate
dope. They suggested something called Aqua
Prime. As the name implies, it is watersoluble
until it dries. I even diluted it with
water for better spraying. I sprayed the areas
that were really bad before doing the whole
bottom wing.
After the primer had dried, it wet-sanded
beautifully and covered the mess created by
the reaction of the paints. I mention this since
modelers occasionally encounter some
reaction to paints, especially when using
foam.
Aqua Prime has some weight involved, as
do most primers, but light coats should
present no problems. You might want to have
some of this, or a similar product, on hand to
keep you out of a potential mess.
Dear friends and loyal readers of this
column, thank you for taking the time to Email
me and for commenting on something
that I wrote that you enjoyed or learned from.
This will be my last regular column.
I have been convinced that this column is
highly specialized and doesn’t reach enough
neophytes who are getting started in the
hobby. I still want to contribute by writing
specific how-to articles and covering the
Flying Aces Club (FAC) Nationals.
FF Scale is still, to me, the most
challenging and rewarding aspect of our great
hobby. And thanks to the FAC and all of the
FAC branches, FF Scale will continue to
grow and prosper. Thank you all for your
loyalty. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2003/10
Page Numbers: 151,152,153
Edition: Model Aviation - 2003/10
Page Numbers: 151,152,153
October 2003 151
I HAVE DONE business with companies (I
assume they are companies since they
advertise in model magazines) lately, with
some exasperating results. Although I would
like to single them out, I won’t since it
probably wouldn’t accomplish anything.
After ordering parts, kits, etc., I waited not
days or weeks, but months before I finally
called, only to be given the usual story (like
“the check is in the mail!”). After waiting
several more months, I wrote a letter
threatening to notify the postal authorities.
When I mentioned my plight to my flying
buddies, their comments were unanimous that
they didn’t do business with this particular
outfit for the same reason. I bring this up to
warn you that there are people out there who
are not particularly good for the hobby. It
would be nice to have a sounding board to
inform us (before we order) about some of
these characters. Had I asked my buddies
about this company first, obviously I would
not have done business with it.
The model-railroad businesses are even
worse. I waited more than a year for some
switches and almost two years for a particular
kit. This problem was solved after some
serious letter-writing.
So before parting with your hard-earned
money, check with your friends to see if they
have had any trouble with the company in
question. With the lack of good model shops,
we are forced, so to speak, to mail order.
However, I have never had any trouble
ordering from the large model-supply
companies.
I have wanted to build a model of the
Sopwith 11⁄2-Strutter for the longest time, but
I have shied away from it because of the “W”
cabane struts. Since I plan on building a
Strutter that has diesel power, I have to have
the W made from piano wire.
As a warmer-upper for the Strutter, I
thought I would build the Hanriot World War
I airplane that also has the W cabane. After
some serious thought, I came up with a plan
that will be simple to do. (See Figure 1.)
I am using 1⁄32-inch piano wire for all of
the struts; therefore, the brass tubing has a 1⁄32-
inch inside diameter. Normally I would use
aluminum tubing to save a bit of weight, but I
have to solder the center part of the cabane
onto the tube. Note that the end of the cabane
wire is bent up.
I have opted to have the struts plug into
aluminum tubing embedded in the respective
ribs, which are reinforced with 1⁄64 plywood
on either side of the tubing. The Hanriot has a
gap between the two upper-half wings, so
each end rib will have its own aluminum tube
so the center part of the W can plug into them.
Fernando Ramos, 19361 Mesa Dr., Villa Park CA 92861; E-mail: [email protected]
FREE FLIGHT SCALE
As shown in Figure 2, you can bend the
top ends of the cabanes and lace them onto the
ribs. I prefer my method since the wires will
not be in the way during covering and
painting. When the latter is completed, the
wings can be plugged into place.
The Strutter does not have a gap between
the upper wings, so I plan to wrap the center
parts with fine wire and solder them together.
Then they will plug into a tube that has been
squeezed enough to allow that part of the
cabane to be easily inserted.
Only the part of the rib where the
aluminum tube goes has to be thick enough to
accommodate the tube. The whole center rib
doesn’t have to be made thicker; you don’t
want to destroy the wing’s appearance.
What I like about this setup is that the
upper wing can be covered and doped before
it has to be installed on the fuselage. Only the
center part of the cabane is in the way.
Do you ever want just a microdot of
cyanoacrylate glue (CyA)? Getting one is
difficult, even with a new tip, but there is one
simple way to do it.
Place a drop of CyA on the eye of a
sewing needle, then transfer it onto whatever
you have to glue. The surface tension of the
CyA will bridge across the eye, and that
makes it possible to get a small dot. Don’t
forget to clean the needle afterward.
Rib Stitching: Not everyone wants to go
152 MODEL AVIATION
through this tedious task. However, it is a
requirement even for Free Flight(FF) if you
are competing seriously, especially at the
British Nationals. For those of you who want
to add this technique to your modeling
repertoire, following is my approach.
Obtain a smooth piece of hardwood (I
suppose you could use balsa) that is slightly
longer than the wing’s chord. Its width is
determined by how many ribs your wing has.
I will explain this further after you see the
process.
(On full-scale-aircraft rib stitching,
spacing is determined by the airplane’s speed,
and stitches need to be closer in the propeller
stream. You don’t need to go through all of
this for a model because you are just trying to
create the proper illusion of rib stitching. So
for our modeling needs, the spacing doesn’t
need to be prototypical; it only needs to look
right.)
After deciding how far apart you want the
stitching, draw parallel lines across the width
of the board and continue them over the side.
Place a small nail where the line is on the side
of the board. I utilize small brass nails that are
used for making full-scale wing ribs, but an
equivalent will work fine. A nail that is too
large will throw things off and get in the way.
Cut a piece of the finest tissue you can
find that is exactly the size of the board. Place
the tissue on the board with the shiny side up,
and secure it on the edges only with Scotch
tape or a couple drops of white glue. Wrap
fine thread from one nail across to the next
nail, going back and forth until the entire
board is “laced” with parallel threads. Brush
several coats of nitrate dope over the thread
and tissue.
When this has dried thoroughly and you
are confident that the thread is secure to the
tissue, it’s time for the next step. The stitching
can be applied after the wings and tail are
covered and doped. You will be cutting across
the tissue/thread. The width is determined by
the size of the balsa used to make the ribs.
(For 1⁄32-inch-thick ribs, cut a strip that is 1⁄32-
inch wide.)
Place this narrow strip over a rib and
attach it to the wing using a fine brush and
acetone or MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone).
When all of the ribs are covered, brush/spray
on another coat of nitrate dope.
You’re not finished yet; the rib tapes are
next! I usually make mine roughly 1⁄8-inch
wide, regardless of the model’s size, because
it looks right. (Remember that you are trying
to create the illusion.)
I cover all of my models with white tissue
since I plan on spraying a color. I do not want
to use white tissue for making the rib tapes, so
I use yellow. It provides contrast against the
white and makes alignment much easier.
Now that you know the procedure, how
wide should the board be? It isn’t critical,
except that if you run out of the tissue/thread
material because your board wasn’t wide
enough, you will have to repeat the process.
You probably do not want to do that.
Therefore, compute to see how many 1⁄32s or
1⁄16s you need, plus a little extra to determine
the width of the board.
It takes time to carry out this procedure,
but is it worth it? It is to me; you have to
decide whether or not you want to take the
time. The technique is not difficult; it’s just
time-consuming.
I got the following hint from my English
friend Lindsey Smith. To make engine
cylinders—unless you are using William
Bros. cylinders—the typical approach is to
wrap rounded balsa with thread. It looks good
if it is done correctly. Lindsey spins a coarse
threaded nut onto the rounded balsa. It
produces realistic-looking fins. The results are
nice, and it takes virtually no time at all.
I wanted to make a really light radial
engine using round Styrofoam, so I gave
Lindsey’s technique a try. I used what is
called a castle nut, which is employed when a
cotter pin is required at the end of a bolt. I
opted for this nut since it gives you more
material to hold onto than a regular nut.
However, an ordinary nut works fine.
You have to be careful with the foam. You
don’t want to squeeze it so hard that you
distort it or snap it in half. If you take care, it
looks good and is light.
When I was restoring the wings on my 1949
Bellanca Cruisair, I encountered a problem
that could have been disastrous! After 50
years, the wood between the ribs had started
to sink in. After stripping the fabric, which
took countless hours, I filled and sanded until
the wings almost looked like fiberglass.
Right after I bought the airplane, I had
painted it with enamel, which, at that time,
you could still buy in California. I did not
strip the fabric from the underside of the
wings because they do not see the light of day
and everything looked fine.
When I sprayed butyrate on the bottom,
the results were devastating. The enamel
curdled almost as if I was using paint
remover. The main thing is that I did not want
to have to remove the fabric from the
plywood-covered wings.
I went to a local auto-paint store to find
out if there was a product that would act as a
barrier between the enamel and the butyrate
dope. They suggested something called Aqua
Prime. As the name implies, it is watersoluble
until it dries. I even diluted it with
water for better spraying. I sprayed the areas
that were really bad before doing the whole
bottom wing.
After the primer had dried, it wet-sanded
beautifully and covered the mess created by
the reaction of the paints. I mention this since
modelers occasionally encounter some
reaction to paints, especially when using
foam.
Aqua Prime has some weight involved, as
do most primers, but light coats should
present no problems. You might want to have
some of this, or a similar product, on hand to
keep you out of a potential mess.
Dear friends and loyal readers of this
column, thank you for taking the time to Email
me and for commenting on something
that I wrote that you enjoyed or learned from.
This will be my last regular column.
I have been convinced that this column is
highly specialized and doesn’t reach enough
neophytes who are getting started in the
hobby. I still want to contribute by writing
specific how-to articles and covering the
Flying Aces Club (FAC) Nationals.
FF Scale is still, to me, the most
challenging and rewarding aspect of our great
hobby. And thanks to the FAC and all of the
FAC branches, FF Scale will continue to
grow and prosper. Thank you all for your
loyalty. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2003/10
Page Numbers: 151,152,153
October 2003 151
I HAVE DONE business with companies (I
assume they are companies since they
advertise in model magazines) lately, with
some exasperating results. Although I would
like to single them out, I won’t since it
probably wouldn’t accomplish anything.
After ordering parts, kits, etc., I waited not
days or weeks, but months before I finally
called, only to be given the usual story (like
“the check is in the mail!”). After waiting
several more months, I wrote a letter
threatening to notify the postal authorities.
When I mentioned my plight to my flying
buddies, their comments were unanimous that
they didn’t do business with this particular
outfit for the same reason. I bring this up to
warn you that there are people out there who
are not particularly good for the hobby. It
would be nice to have a sounding board to
inform us (before we order) about some of
these characters. Had I asked my buddies
about this company first, obviously I would
not have done business with it.
The model-railroad businesses are even
worse. I waited more than a year for some
switches and almost two years for a particular
kit. This problem was solved after some
serious letter-writing.
So before parting with your hard-earned
money, check with your friends to see if they
have had any trouble with the company in
question. With the lack of good model shops,
we are forced, so to speak, to mail order.
However, I have never had any trouble
ordering from the large model-supply
companies.
I have wanted to build a model of the
Sopwith 11⁄2-Strutter for the longest time, but
I have shied away from it because of the “W”
cabane struts. Since I plan on building a
Strutter that has diesel power, I have to have
the W made from piano wire.
As a warmer-upper for the Strutter, I
thought I would build the Hanriot World War
I airplane that also has the W cabane. After
some serious thought, I came up with a plan
that will be simple to do. (See Figure 1.)
I am using 1⁄32-inch piano wire for all of
the struts; therefore, the brass tubing has a 1⁄32-
inch inside diameter. Normally I would use
aluminum tubing to save a bit of weight, but I
have to solder the center part of the cabane
onto the tube. Note that the end of the cabane
wire is bent up.
I have opted to have the struts plug into
aluminum tubing embedded in the respective
ribs, which are reinforced with 1⁄64 plywood
on either side of the tubing. The Hanriot has a
gap between the two upper-half wings, so
each end rib will have its own aluminum tube
so the center part of the W can plug into them.
Fernando Ramos, 19361 Mesa Dr., Villa Park CA 92861; E-mail: [email protected]
FREE FLIGHT SCALE
As shown in Figure 2, you can bend the
top ends of the cabanes and lace them onto the
ribs. I prefer my method since the wires will
not be in the way during covering and
painting. When the latter is completed, the
wings can be plugged into place.
The Strutter does not have a gap between
the upper wings, so I plan to wrap the center
parts with fine wire and solder them together.
Then they will plug into a tube that has been
squeezed enough to allow that part of the
cabane to be easily inserted.
Only the part of the rib where the
aluminum tube goes has to be thick enough to
accommodate the tube. The whole center rib
doesn’t have to be made thicker; you don’t
want to destroy the wing’s appearance.
What I like about this setup is that the
upper wing can be covered and doped before
it has to be installed on the fuselage. Only the
center part of the cabane is in the way.
Do you ever want just a microdot of
cyanoacrylate glue (CyA)? Getting one is
difficult, even with a new tip, but there is one
simple way to do it.
Place a drop of CyA on the eye of a
sewing needle, then transfer it onto whatever
you have to glue. The surface tension of the
CyA will bridge across the eye, and that
makes it possible to get a small dot. Don’t
forget to clean the needle afterward.
Rib Stitching: Not everyone wants to go
152 MODEL AVIATION
through this tedious task. However, it is a
requirement even for Free Flight(FF) if you
are competing seriously, especially at the
British Nationals. For those of you who want
to add this technique to your modeling
repertoire, following is my approach.
Obtain a smooth piece of hardwood (I
suppose you could use balsa) that is slightly
longer than the wing’s chord. Its width is
determined by how many ribs your wing has.
I will explain this further after you see the
process.
(On full-scale-aircraft rib stitching,
spacing is determined by the airplane’s speed,
and stitches need to be closer in the propeller
stream. You don’t need to go through all of
this for a model because you are just trying to
create the proper illusion of rib stitching. So
for our modeling needs, the spacing doesn’t
need to be prototypical; it only needs to look
right.)
After deciding how far apart you want the
stitching, draw parallel lines across the width
of the board and continue them over the side.
Place a small nail where the line is on the side
of the board. I utilize small brass nails that are
used for making full-scale wing ribs, but an
equivalent will work fine. A nail that is too
large will throw things off and get in the way.
Cut a piece of the finest tissue you can
find that is exactly the size of the board. Place
the tissue on the board with the shiny side up,
and secure it on the edges only with Scotch
tape or a couple drops of white glue. Wrap
fine thread from one nail across to the next
nail, going back and forth until the entire
board is “laced” with parallel threads. Brush
several coats of nitrate dope over the thread
and tissue.
When this has dried thoroughly and you
are confident that the thread is secure to the
tissue, it’s time for the next step. The stitching
can be applied after the wings and tail are
covered and doped. You will be cutting across
the tissue/thread. The width is determined by
the size of the balsa used to make the ribs.
(For 1⁄32-inch-thick ribs, cut a strip that is 1⁄32-
inch wide.)
Place this narrow strip over a rib and
attach it to the wing using a fine brush and
acetone or MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone).
When all of the ribs are covered, brush/spray
on another coat of nitrate dope.
You’re not finished yet; the rib tapes are
next! I usually make mine roughly 1⁄8-inch
wide, regardless of the model’s size, because
it looks right. (Remember that you are trying
to create the illusion.)
I cover all of my models with white tissue
since I plan on spraying a color. I do not want
to use white tissue for making the rib tapes, so
I use yellow. It provides contrast against the
white and makes alignment much easier.
Now that you know the procedure, how
wide should the board be? It isn’t critical,
except that if you run out of the tissue/thread
material because your board wasn’t wide
enough, you will have to repeat the process.
You probably do not want to do that.
Therefore, compute to see how many 1⁄32s or
1⁄16s you need, plus a little extra to determine
the width of the board.
It takes time to carry out this procedure,
but is it worth it? It is to me; you have to
decide whether or not you want to take the
time. The technique is not difficult; it’s just
time-consuming.
I got the following hint from my English
friend Lindsey Smith. To make engine
cylinders—unless you are using William
Bros. cylinders—the typical approach is to
wrap rounded balsa with thread. It looks good
if it is done correctly. Lindsey spins a coarse
threaded nut onto the rounded balsa. It
produces realistic-looking fins. The results are
nice, and it takes virtually no time at all.
I wanted to make a really light radial
engine using round Styrofoam, so I gave
Lindsey’s technique a try. I used what is
called a castle nut, which is employed when a
cotter pin is required at the end of a bolt. I
opted for this nut since it gives you more
material to hold onto than a regular nut.
However, an ordinary nut works fine.
You have to be careful with the foam. You
don’t want to squeeze it so hard that you
distort it or snap it in half. If you take care, it
looks good and is light.
When I was restoring the wings on my 1949
Bellanca Cruisair, I encountered a problem
that could have been disastrous! After 50
years, the wood between the ribs had started
to sink in. After stripping the fabric, which
took countless hours, I filled and sanded until
the wings almost looked like fiberglass.
Right after I bought the airplane, I had
painted it with enamel, which, at that time,
you could still buy in California. I did not
strip the fabric from the underside of the
wings because they do not see the light of day
and everything looked fine.
When I sprayed butyrate on the bottom,
the results were devastating. The enamel
curdled almost as if I was using paint
remover. The main thing is that I did not want
to have to remove the fabric from the
plywood-covered wings.
I went to a local auto-paint store to find
out if there was a product that would act as a
barrier between the enamel and the butyrate
dope. They suggested something called Aqua
Prime. As the name implies, it is watersoluble
until it dries. I even diluted it with
water for better spraying. I sprayed the areas
that were really bad before doing the whole
bottom wing.
After the primer had dried, it wet-sanded
beautifully and covered the mess created by
the reaction of the paints. I mention this since
modelers occasionally encounter some
reaction to paints, especially when using
foam.
Aqua Prime has some weight involved, as
do most primers, but light coats should
present no problems. You might want to have
some of this, or a similar product, on hand to
keep you out of a potential mess.
Dear friends and loyal readers of this
column, thank you for taking the time to Email
me and for commenting on something
that I wrote that you enjoyed or learned from.
This will be my last regular column.
I have been convinced that this column is
highly specialized and doesn’t reach enough
neophytes who are getting started in the
hobby. I still want to contribute by writing
specific how-to articles and covering the
Flying Aces Club (FAC) Nationals.
FF Scale is still, to me, the most
challenging and rewarding aspect of our great
hobby. And thanks to the FAC and all of the
FAC branches, FF Scale will continue to
grow and prosper. Thank you all for your
loyalty. MA