MonoKote, soft balsa, finishe's, etc. Right, balsa can be dented easily. I have one mono-koted Intruder, and getting ready to monokote another, (finish before MK picture enclosed). I stripped both. You don't have to, but I use BalsaRite, which smells like and goes on like Dope. It gives the balsa strength, plus seals the wood, prior to MK. I also use the woodpecker for aeration, only on areas I do not glass.

In some cases, go a step further. This present Intruder, I glassed the canopy in, then the whole fusleage 3/4 oz. glass cloth and finishing resin. Did away with the original fin, took rudder off, made new out of 3/8" balsa, cloth and glass that also. I have a smooth glass shell, and will monokote over that. I will include a picture of the re-build of Intruder #1, glassed and MK.

This works for me, and why do all this work just on an ARF ? I will do more work on the glass fuselage and foam wings, but I believe in this system, and want the plane to look nice, as well as fly nice, altho I am not that good a flyer.

Vince