.50sz Tettra N1-K2 Shinden-Kai "George" Build Thread
#102
Thread Starter
Glassed up the inside nose of the plastic cowling to reinforce it and will continue on the sides tomorrow. My buddy Gerry has a trick up his sleeve to really clean up the gaps as the leading edge of the flaps. A fowler flap set up would have been too much work in such a small model. Because of that the hinge line leaves some to be desired using the torque rod actuation. It's not bad but it will be real good when done. More pictures tomorrow.
#103
Thread Starter
Here are some pictures of last night and today's little bit of work. Nose glassed in picture and didn't take a picture of the additional glass added up the side of the cowl. Aileron's glued in and painted Japanese green/gray. Inner gear doors painted along with door linkage to resemble full scale. Wheel hubs painted. Have to disassemble retract so strut can be painted.
#105
Thread Starter
Gerry got the flap-gaps squared away. You can see them held in the down position using blue tape while adjacent areas were protected by tape as well. ( The L.E. of the flaps were also coated w/ Vaseline over that tape as a mold release agent. The hinges all got Vaselined knuckles which were then heated on high with a hairdryer to wick everything into the knuckle. Worked like a charm.)
The shot with the X-Acto knife was merely to show the excess bondo being surgically cut away within 5 min. after curing. Cutting it away at this stage saves a lot of time sanding it later and the results of this cutting are much neater. Once all tape was lifted off and everything had cured hard, the Bondo gap was blade-scraped, leaving everything smooth without risking further sanding to undermine adjacent wing skin bottoms in the immediate vicinity. Photos don't show the silver painted flap bays afterward. It's all ready to be glued in place.
The shot with the X-Acto knife was merely to show the excess bondo being surgically cut away within 5 min. after curing. Cutting it away at this stage saves a lot of time sanding it later and the results of this cutting are much neater. Once all tape was lifted off and everything had cured hard, the Bondo gap was blade-scraped, leaving everything smooth without risking further sanding to undermine adjacent wing skin bottoms in the immediate vicinity. Photos don't show the silver painted flap bays afterward. It's all ready to be glued in place.
#106
Thread Starter
Finally finished up the flaps. The inside edges were painted aluminum of the wing trailing edge and split flap leading edges. Epoxied the robart pin hinges in and epoxied the torque rod ends in the flap. Flap joints both on the ends and across the top of the wing are nice and tight. Gerry said he will be painting it green tomorrow. Can't wait to see it with some color. Seems like it's been forever now. Cleaned up the glass that's been applied inside the cowl to make it stronger.
#107
Thread Starter
Some color got sprayed today. Just the green top surfaces so far. Paint is Klass Kote Japanese Army/Navy N-1 green. Almost looks kind of black in these pictures. Getting there.
Last edited by chistech; 10-28-2014 at 08:51 PM.
#108
Thread Starter
Got the bottom of the wing painted with Klass Kote aluminum today. This paint really covers well with just a light coat. Used Gerry's Badger gun which really lays the paint on quick for these big areas. Had some areas on the wing top with the green that we didn't like. A light 400 sanding and then a light re-coat of the green has cleaned it up. Starting to really look good. Painted the outside of the gear doors too.
#109
Thread Starter
Like I said in an earlier post, we didn't like the way the green looked after it was sprayed. Had nothing to do with the paint but it was our prep of the surface. We believe after wet sanding the primer and then priming again, then sanding again that we're not getting some of the "mud" created from the wet sanding out of the weave in places that the resin didn't quite fill. Even though the surface looks completely smooth with no blemishes, when the color is sprayed it lets those areas "gas out" so to speak.
Gerry always vacs the surfaces after wet sanding then gives a quick Acetone wipe down but I believe we need to apply some high pressure air to the whole surface to blow any sanding residue out of the weave so the next primer coat can fill them in. This of course is one theory. Another theory is we use 3M 77 spray lightly applied on the glass cloth to just tack it down when first applied to the bare wood. This prevents the cloth from moving around when the resin is first applied. On this plane I brought my own can of 3M 77 but it was an older can with the long gone blue label. It is the original formula that actually wasn't bad to use on foam. The new Super 77 cannot be used to skin foam wings but has never given us any problems. Not sure if this old formula Super 77 is to blame for the "gassed" out areas.
Took the re-sprayed top of wing and distressed it with 600 steel wool to give it a dull shine but weathered look. Came out real nice and the whole plane will get a very light gray wash for the true weathering effect blending everything together. After the steel wool the wing feels like a fiberglass finish. Real happy with the vertical fin and stab area. The fillet blended so well with the bondo that it looks like a molded fiberglass fuse. Also sanded down the fuse as it had some of the same issues the wing had and got it repainted today. It too came out real well and will get the same steel wool treatment. I've been doing all of the repainting and Gerry wanted to get a picture of me actually using an airbrush. Maybe some day I'll get the hang of it! LOL Here are pictures of yesterdays and today's work.
Gerry always vacs the surfaces after wet sanding then gives a quick Acetone wipe down but I believe we need to apply some high pressure air to the whole surface to blow any sanding residue out of the weave so the next primer coat can fill them in. This of course is one theory. Another theory is we use 3M 77 spray lightly applied on the glass cloth to just tack it down when first applied to the bare wood. This prevents the cloth from moving around when the resin is first applied. On this plane I brought my own can of 3M 77 but it was an older can with the long gone blue label. It is the original formula that actually wasn't bad to use on foam. The new Super 77 cannot be used to skin foam wings but has never given us any problems. Not sure if this old formula Super 77 is to blame for the "gassed" out areas.
Took the re-sprayed top of wing and distressed it with 600 steel wool to give it a dull shine but weathered look. Came out real nice and the whole plane will get a very light gray wash for the true weathering effect blending everything together. After the steel wool the wing feels like a fiberglass finish. Real happy with the vertical fin and stab area. The fillet blended so well with the bondo that it looks like a molded fiberglass fuse. Also sanded down the fuse as it had some of the same issues the wing had and got it repainted today. It too came out real well and will get the same steel wool treatment. I've been doing all of the repainting and Gerry wanted to get a picture of me actually using an airbrush. Maybe some day I'll get the hang of it! LOL Here are pictures of yesterdays and today's work.
#110
Thread Starter
Heading out to Chicago today. Got some more work done. Sanded down some small areas where we re-primed on the wing bottom. Fitted cowl to fuse and Gerry prepped the struts for some fresh grey paint. Gerry will be re-shooting the wing with aluminum, painting the fuse bottom, and doing the upsweeps of aluminum color on the lower cowl and under the stab on the fuse. He will also shoot the struts with the grey. Once that is done he will be lightly blending the lower edges of the fuse with the green to aluminum edges with his fine airbrush. Coming along. No new pictures until this coming Thursday.
#111
Thread Starter
Got home today from Chicago and went by Gerry's place. He has painted the struts Japanese gray and they look great, The bottom of the wing/fuse has been painted aluminum. Gerry blended the edges of the green to aluminum with his fine airbrush. Looks real nice at the stab and cowl areas. Assembled the doors to the struts and installed one inner door. One spring on the inner door mechanism has broken so I need to make another spring. Started making up stencils out of frisket paper for the hinomaru's and the numbers on the tail. The whole plane has been rubbed with steel wool and will get a very light total gray wash after all markings are applied. Getting there, more to do tomorrow.
#112
Thread Starter
Got more done today. Finished installing the retracts and inner gear doors. Cut out the hinomaru's on frisket paper for the upper insignias. The uppers have a white ring around the red so the frisket stencil is in two pieces. In the pictures you can see the small pieces of blue tape around the painted circle. They help hold the out ring in place while the red is painted. After the red dries I will put the center frisket paper back over the circle and then remove the ring stencil so the white can be painted. The wing bottom hinomaru's were cut with a bladed compass right on the wing, again using frisket paper. The bottom of the wing has been painted and now I need to make the stencils for the fuse. They too will be cut right on the fuse. A very light touch will be needed so not to cut into the fuse while cutting through the frisket.
Last edited by chistech; 11-06-2014 at 08:46 PM.
#114
Thread Starter
Thanks Tom. Going slow but at least getting done. Lots and lots of time on the markings. Who would think a circle with a small circle outline would be such a PITA! Cut the hinomaru's on the frisket paper right on the fuse today. The kit came with self adhesive graphics so I used them for setting up the locations for the stencils. The picture shows me using one for the fuse measurements. Ready for paint on the fuse. Made up the tail numbers in blue painter's tape and will get them lined up tomorrow. Ended up using all of the frisket paper Gerry had left and not many places sell it. Luckily found it in a A.C. Moore craft store. The keep in the the glass case with all the airbrush items. $18 with tax for 10, 8.5 x 11" sheets. If people have never tried it they should. Makes real nice one time stencil.
#115
My Feedback: (1)
Chitech. You can also you clear (or slightly frosted for use on windows) contact shelf paper by Rubbermaid. Available at Home Depot, last time I bought it, it was $3.98 for a 15' roll. Mark out you insignia the model, stick on the contact paper, and cut with a brand new #11 blade.
Cheers,
Andy
Cheers,
Andy
#119
Thread Starter
Here is tonight's work. Painted the white rings and the yellow tail numbers. The Badger frisket paper works real well so far. It's easy to cut and releases fairly easy.
#121
Thread Starter
We discussed both ways. Didn't feel we needed the extra paint on the plane and putting down an inner circle in place is easier than trying put the outer circle in place and have them come out even. I'm sure there's ways for both techniques and we probably didn't think of them all. The results were really good though so I'm happy.
#122
Thread Starter
Taped off the leading edges today for the yellow paint. Realized I was too far back initially as you can see in the picture of the wing bottom before paint. The yellow would have ended up on the gear doors so I moved the tape line back to just run by the gear door openings. The result can be seen in the painted wing bottom. Taped off the fuse for the two red stripes. To get these just right is a lot of work and measuring. Used as much blue tape as possible then the red Great Planes vinyl tape. Will get painted tomorrow. Panel lines, some silver wear marks, and panel lines to be done yet.
#123
Thread Starter
Stripes got painted. The tail wheel components, retract door screws, and some other small areas got painted with aluminum. The elevators got painted the Japanese gray. Started drawing up the panel lines today and will start shooting them tomorrow. The green surfaces will be done with a green toned panel line. The aluminum surfaces will get the panel lines done with a grayish tone color. Getting close.
#124
Thread Starter
Here is some pictures of some of the panel lines painted on the fuse and the wing. Some of the more intricate lines and panels will be painted after all the straight lines are done. Really turning out to be a good looking airframe. Airframes don't have be be huge or even big to have a decent look or amount of details. It actually harder to add details to these smaller airframes than the large ones. I like the challenge of having to make most of everything as not very many detail parts are available for this scale of aircraft.
#125
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That really looks terrific chistech, beautiful bird. I would have liked to have seen airfoiled tail feathers (a real pet peave of mine) but even that discretion does not detract from the airplane significantly. Really looking forward to the finished product and a flight report! I have another one of my .60 size Hellcats just about ready for paint and I've been waffling back and forth on whether to add the panel lines and rivets in my usual manner or just ink them on. After seeing your bird I'm really leaning toward the latter. It really looks great.