Hi Lawrence and all...

I do feel like I have fallen off the face of the Earth. Somebody famous once said - "Life is is what happens when your busy making other plans" - Well, I am back with a vengeance

I've covered most of the building steps, if I missed anything you all know Mike has all the documentation on his site. If your need any further help or information just ask, look back on this thread or the v2 thread or just go to Mike's site. Or better yet figure it out yourself - hey - what a concept

I've got 2 VF3s ready for paint - So here I go into finishing these babies.

Mike is right about the sanding - be prepared to spend a considerable amount of time filling and sanding the wood airframe. I use a product called "Super Fill" from Aircraft Spruce- it's a two part epoxy filler that sands almost like balsa. Use this filler on the fin fillet, to flair in the cowling and to touch up any other dings or small cracks. Like Mikes says the more on the floor, the less in the air.

I learned from one of the top painters it's best to work with a point light source at an angle to the surface your working - it's hard to see surface details under fluorescent shop lights.

I use different sized flat sanding blocks, and large hard rubber flexible sanding blocks. To achieve a "plate flat" look - it's important to use only a block sander, I use a few different commercial block sanders - 3M makes a variety of different styles of sanders, all available from your local hardware/Home Depot store. I've attached a pic of what "plate flat" looks like, you can achieve this with not a lot of extra effort and a sanding block. The main point is don't touch your plane with out a block - if you think you can fold up a sheet of sandpaper and go at it with your fingers - your mistaken.