Posted this in the ARF/RTF forum, but this may be a better spot.

Can I just say, to begin, that I cannot BELIEVE that this $100 Arf came with a plastic cowl template to use? I could not belive this morning when I picked up the cowl from my World Models Super Sports 40S box, and said "HOLY CRAP!!, They Included a overlay!!". My $200 Sig Kadet Senior that fell apart mid air didn't even come with one of these!! And, the cowl is painted NICE!!. I'll tell ya you cannot beat these world models for the price..

Anyway, I have never used one of these overlays to do a cowl cut, can someone explain the best way to go about it?

Novaflier,

The World Models ARF kits are excellent kits, both in build quality and covering. Most of tham also are very good flying planes.

The clear plastic cowls are cheap alternatives of the painted ones to give you the ability to do your initial cutouts on something that allows you to make a couple of mistakes without ruining your nicely painted cowl.

Make the usual templates from paper or cardboard and transfer to the plastic cowl. Cut it till you are happy with the fit, then use that as a template to transfer the patterns to the finished cowl.

Best regards and happy flying

I've never used one (an overlay) either but have successfully adopted a technique illustrated in an older issue of Model Airplane News. What it entails is this:

After the engine and muffler are mounted, take some light cardboard (file folders works good for this) and do the best you can at cutting out where the head, needle valve and muffler protrude outside the cowl. Then tape the cardboard templates to the fuselage several inches back from the firewall and leave them there. The cut-out openings should align with the protruding engine components.

Next, remove the engine/muffler completely from the mounts and then install the cowl. (Either the overlay or the actual cowl will work). Allowing the previously taped cardboard templates to lay flat against the cowl, simply mark the openings. Remove the cowl, cut the openings, re-mount the engine and then try the cowl. The cut-outs should be within a smidgen of being perfect and may need a little tweaking but they will be by far closer than if doing it by trial and error.

The method described eliminates the guesswork in making the cut-outs whereby the reason for the overlay cowl - it's intended to receive all the "mistake cuts" so you have a second chance to adjust them on the final cowl.

Ted

I haven't had the privilege of using one of these yet either, but the idea behind the clear ones is that you don't have to make cardboard templates and "guesstimates" about where a hole should be cut.

You need to remove the muffler and the needle valve, and other parts that impede with installing the clear plastic cowl. (Not sure what you'd do if the head prevents installation. )

With the clear cowl mounted, you simply draw where you need to make cutouts on the surface.

Form here on I'm guessing. You remove the clear template cowl, cut out the areas you marked, place it back on to make sure of the fits, then place it over your painted cowl and trace the cutouts onto it. (It's kind of like 3 dimensional cardboards templates.)
Dennis-

OUCH never knew there was such a thing!!!!
Made my Kyosho's Cap cowl look like it just went to war and got shot in all directions!!!!!