My stickers pulled off easily enough by hand. I just made sure to do it slowly and to pull them straight back. I rocked them around and made sure I got them off in one piece. I don't think I had more than about 3 square inches of gook to cleanup. Some solvent and paper towels handled that. I didn't time it, but it took me about an hour (maybe) taking my time. Well worth the trouble if you feel like adding some trim.
Here's a pic of my plane so far. I've trimmed up the wings and elevator. I'm drawing a blank for what I want to do with the fuse and rudder...but I'll get there...don't rush me
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One of the best things about doing this is that the plane is a lot more visible in the air.