How difficult is it to replace painted covering?
10-27-2010, 07:32 AM
#1
Thread Starter
How difficult is it to replace painted covering?
A friend pulled an old '70s plane down from his attic and knowing the design had been an old favorite passed it into my hands. The Alley Cat was a nice intermediate low wing tricycle gear .40 size design by Ed Keck and was produced by Southern RC.
It is in reasonably good shape but does have a fuselage area that was repaired and primed but not finish painted, probably because the paint was a custom auto paint mix. The paint is the issue for two reason. Of course repainting the damaged area but the greater problem is weight.
When I picked up the wing, my first reaction was HOLY SMOKERS... this thing is not just heavy, it is really heavy.... the fuselage as well. It seemed to me that it ought to be about that heavy with the motor and radio gear. Checking the weight, it is 3lb 13oz less radio gear and engine.
My enthusiasm to do something with it was deflated. I've an old HB 40-PDP that would make it fly (heck, I remember the owner flying it)... but I remembered mine as a great flier and suspect that this plane is too heavy to fly well and thus not worth effort to restore to flight.
I don't of course know the exact process used to produce the finish. My memory of painting back then was to use a poly span type covering doped on and filled with dope and talk and then painted with K&B epoxy. What I suspect is that this was filled with a few layers of auto primer, and just got too heavy.
My question, has any one experienced a surprise and found it relatively easy to get the covering off of one of these old painted models? Has any one tried and been frustrated?
It is in reasonably good shape but does have a fuselage area that was repaired and primed but not finish painted, probably because the paint was a custom auto paint mix. The paint is the issue for two reason. Of course repainting the damaged area but the greater problem is weight.
When I picked up the wing, my first reaction was HOLY SMOKERS... this thing is not just heavy, it is really heavy.... the fuselage as well. It seemed to me that it ought to be about that heavy with the motor and radio gear. Checking the weight, it is 3lb 13oz less radio gear and engine.
My enthusiasm to do something with it was deflated. I've an old HB 40-PDP that would make it fly (heck, I remember the owner flying it)... but I remembered mine as a great flier and suspect that this plane is too heavy to fly well and thus not worth effort to restore to flight.
I don't of course know the exact process used to produce the finish. My memory of painting back then was to use a poly span type covering doped on and filled with dope and talk and then painted with K&B epoxy. What I suspect is that this was filled with a few layers of auto primer, and just got too heavy.
My question, has any one experienced a surprise and found it relatively easy to get the covering off of one of these old painted models? Has any one tried and been frustrated?
10-27-2010, 10:43 AM
#3
Thread Starter
RE: How difficult is it to replace painted covering?
Thanks for the encouragement. Perhaps I've over reacted a bit. Part of the problem was the pass off of this plane yesterday was on a day for which I was flying my Akrobat II, a 1.20 size plane having wing halves and tube that total 31oz including two servos and exactly the same as the wing on the .40 size Alley Cat with no servo yet. I do have to remember however that the Alley Cat wing includes the gear struts and wheels.
Another problem I suppose is that the same Enya .40 that flew my Alley Cat quite well so many years ago, is now flying a .40 size House of Balsa P-51 several ounces under five pounds that was just returning to flight worthiness.
A Sig LT-25 wing here is larger and weighs 19 oz. A Quickie 500 wing is for a .40 size and weighs 13 oz.
Too much contrasting can screw with the mind sometimes.
Having slept the rest of the night after posting, I've no interest in pulling the covering from it and will fit engine and radio and see how it flies and enjoy a bit of nostalgia.
Another problem I suppose is that the same Enya .40 that flew my Alley Cat quite well so many years ago, is now flying a .40 size House of Balsa P-51 several ounces under five pounds that was just returning to flight worthiness.
A Sig LT-25 wing here is larger and weighs 19 oz. A Quickie 500 wing is for a .40 size and weighs 13 oz.
Too much contrasting can screw with the mind sometimes.
Having slept the rest of the night after posting, I've no interest in pulling the covering from it and will fit engine and radio and see how it flies and enjoy a bit of nostalgia.
