Hi All,

Iasked my 3 year old daughter what colour to "paint" my new plane in. Her answer: purple. Inow have a plane that Barney would be happy to fly in. There is a little cub yellow in it, but it still looks like a giant purple thing.

Does anyone know where I can get some decals so that Ican break the purple a bit? Is it possible to print anything Iwant on sticker paper and stick it on to the plane?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Well, what covering did you use? You said "paint" but did you actually use paint or some form of covering?

If you used covering, just buy a contrasting color, cut your own strips or design, and put that on right over the purple covering in strategic locations. Best on the bottom of the wing to make sure you can tell if it's inverted or not... rather important, ya know?

CGr.

If you used a covering like Ultracoat or Monokote then you can go to any sign shop and get vynil letters or designs...you can even get them to cut stripes

Car decals work GREAT... Check out my "Snoopy Sportster"...

Thanks for the tips.

I used monokote to cover the plane.  My 3 year old does not know the difference between paint and covering, hence the words "paint" above.

My wing is 2 tone - purple and yellow.  The tips of the wings and the tips of the stab are yellow, but only 25% of the wing tip is yellow and the same with the stab.  It is the same for the top and bottom of the wing and stab.

The importance of having contrasting colors on the top vs. the bottom is so that you can tell if it's inverted or not. So, you can have, say straight stripes on the top with angular stripes on the bottom, just so they are different enough so you can tell the difference between upright and inverted flight. (wing and/or stab that is).

Opjose has a great example of what I mean in his post. The top is different from the bottom, enough so that you can definitely tell the difference from the ground.

CGr.

I also find that having high contrast colors on the leading edge of the wings REALLY helps at landing, when the plane is moving towards you.

E.G. the two wide stripes from the bottom should extend up as much as possible on the LE to help landing visibility.

I ALWAYS put a strip of Monokote fluorescent orange on the leading edge of the wings on all of my planes.I rushed an ARF plane into the air because I wanted to fly it that weekend and did not put my usual leading edge color on it. I literally dissappeared on landing. I put the orange on the wing that afternoon. Find a color you can see and put a 2" stripe on the leading edge. Any fluorescent Monokote color shows up well.

On a couple of fast EDFs I've taken to putting reflective metalic tape on the LE of the rudder as well to let me see a glint of the plane when it is coming to me from far away.

You don't need much, a thin 1/4" strip along the LE of reflective or flourescent works just fine.

Thanks for all the tips - they have all been very helpful

Thanks once again to all who helped with the sticker ideas.
Ihave attached - if they do not come through then I tried - some pictues of the finished product.

She flies very well after adding dual rates and toning down the throws suggested in the manual. Takes a bit of getting used to a low wing from a high wing, but I am loving the plane. Landings are a lot easier than Ithought they would be and I am looking forward to learning some aerobatic tricks. Hopefully she will last a while :-)

Beautuful job, Brad.

Here is what I suggest before you start with the aerobatics. Do a complete ground check, checking everything closely, including the battery. Check connections to all control surfaces, on both ends (servo end and the control surface end) to make sure all is secure and ready to fly. Check that the control surfaces move in the right direction by standing behind the aircraft and moving the sticks. Right rudder should move the rudder to the right (same direction as you rudder stick). Move the aileron stick to the right, the right aileron should go up and the left should go down. Pull back on the elevator and it should move up. Start the engine and do a quick re-check of contol surfaces. Do a range check.

When ready to fly, get it in the air and do some relaxing orbits just to get rid of the butterflys in your stomach... ha.. Then do a purposeful landing following the usual downwind, turn to base, turn to final. Don't land, just do an approach with the plane coming RIGHT AT YOU. Go around, do an orbit or two and do it again.

On the third approach, either land or do a touch-and-go - land it then immediately take off.

Do this for the first tank each day you are out at the field. Do nothing but approaches and landings. Practice that and you will never have a problem with landings.

Next fuel tank, take off, climb high somewhere in the sky above you and pull the throttle to idle and don't touch it. Do an "emergency" dead-stick approach. Once on a good final, slowly add throttle and climb back up to a high altitude, but in a different part of the sky and do it again.

I'll tell you this.. you will never be sorry you practiced all these things, especially the dead-stick because you never know when that will happen and you want to get it on the ground quickly and safely.

After that, knock yourself out and do stuff.. whatever you like.

If you do this each time you go out to the field (believe me when I say this.. I do it even to this day) you will never regret it.

Best of luck and enjoy that new plane.

CGr.

CGR - thanks for the tips.  I have had about 4 full flights with this plane where all I did was touch and gos.  I like to know (as you have mentioned) that I can land safely always.

I will try the dead stick landings.  I have not done this and can see how useful it would be.

What makes it useful is that it prepares you for the eventual dead-stick, and it will happen, no doubt, if you stay in this hobby long enough. When it happens, well, you won't be all that surprised and will know what to do right away. Just remember that dead-sticks occur in the most inadvantageous times... like Murphy's law, ya know?

And, I'll tell you, even now, I do several touch-and-go's and full stop landings on the first tank of fuel of the day. Just to keep in practice and to keep sharp.

Later, and again, nice job with that plane.

CGr.

"OFF TOPIC FOR A FEW LINES PLEASE"

Hi Brad, it's good to see a fellow neighbor in here. I fly out of a Club in Pulaski, NY and shop at Redneck. I plan on going to the S.T.A.R.S Fun fly next month in Phoenix, NY. If you go and see a black Fokker DR1 and a Hanger 9 Fokker DVII under a tent- that would be me. Don't be afraid to introduce yourself and by the way, great job on your airplane!


Pete

Oh man, now that is really off-topic.. [X(]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with a good introduction and invite to a new pilot, there Pete.

CGr

Oh man, now that is really off-topic.. [X(]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with a good introduction and invite to a new pilot, there Pete.

CGr

Why I Thank You Sir. I met about 2 people from RCU already, and I call one of them from time to time. (I'm glad no one has punched me in the nose yet)

Stick around Brad, you'll make some good friends here. Me personally, I like to hang out here and chat about the hobby so I can learn and share what little I know between builds and or rainy days. My Club is small, and I only see them once or twice a week if I'm lucky. I'm still the youngest member of our Club and I'm only 45 years old!

Hmmm, maybe in a few years I'll buy a trainer and become one of these guys...



Why not now? Heck, I already forget to bring what I need to fly a plane at times and have to drive another 10 miles back to get what I forgot to bring! It gets fun trying to drive back to the field before it gets too dark without getting stopped by the Authorities. But that's another topic for another day.



Pete

Oberst Thanks for introduction.  I do plan on going to the STARS event.  I am not sure if you know, but there is a Fun Fly this coming Sunday at the club I fly with:  ARCS:

http://www.arcsnews.com/main.htm

I will definitely introduce myself at the STARS event.
The ARCS club is one of the best things that has happened to me while living in CNY.  The people are amazing and I could not say enough good things about them.

CGR - thanks again for the tips and the good words on the plane.  I hope one day I get better at covering the planes - I still need a lot of practice.

Covering planes only gets better with time. It was about 8 years ago I couldn't wrap a present, now I work with all types of covering thanks to Marty at Redneck. I haven't done any silk or cloth covering yet- but again I don't want to get my Son or Wife higher than they already are when I use Balsa-rite.


Pete

Now, that's off topic.. [sm=punching.gif]