I would not be that worried about weight. Mine has a .61 and flies great. As far as flaking, I'm not sure. I only have about 15 flights on this plane, but so far so good. I used Top Flite Lustre Cote. Just spray lightly and try not to glob it on. If your garage is an icebox like mine right now, I would wait until it warms up a little. The paint will not cure properly and you will have problems later.

Mike