ccab17

newby here...

1 what can I do to clean the body from the fuel residue from the muffler off of my plane? (yes, I have an exhaust tube deflecting it away).

2 what can I do to clean the outside of my engine from the residue?

3 what can I do to clean the inside of my engine from the residue?

4 what can I do to cover-up exposed, dried epoxy (that looks neon-yellow in color) on a white plane? Paint it over in white?

5 what can I do to remove the bubbles from the decals?

6 what can I do to remove uneven surfaces from the balsa covering?

Thank you very much! p

hogflyer

For cleaning, just use Windex, 409 or a similar cleaner. Spray it on and wipe off using paper towels.

For the rest - don't worry about it unless the engine has a tremendous amount of varnish built up but that's an involved clean requiring engine removal and disassembly. Just fly the plane and enjoy it. If the plane survives the next year and you get to an intermediate trainer, then thing about recovering/rebuilding your trainer at that point.

Hogflyer

jetmech05

1. windex without ammonia or rubbing alcohol

2. hogflyer is correct don't worry about it

3. ditto

4. on the next airplane you can clean up epoxy with alcohol before it dries

5. use the wet method to apply the decals getting all the wet out before it dries

6. sand it down before you cover it.. covering doesn't hide things it magnifies imperfections
go fly and have fun

bruce88123

BTW - The "body" is called a fuselage and a wing. The fuselage includes the tail surfaces or "empenage". FYI

To clean YOUR body - soap and water work fine.

da Rock

Reduce the amount that hits your airplane. Point the muffler so the exhaust is blown where the model isn't.
And a 2" or 3" muffler extension works wonders. Even very short ones work wonders. The Ultimate in the pictures comes down almost clean.

If it does accumulate after awhile, DAWN Power Dissolver works. But remove the engine to do it. And don't worry about it, as said above.

As already said.

As already said plus........ Taping the surfaces where the epoxy might squeeze out onto is a great labor saver. Like taping the surface of the wing at the roots before joining the two halves. If any squeezes out, it'll be over the masking tape. Just scrape the blobs onto the tape and pull the tape. What little is left, if any, will take very little alcohol cleanup.

If you're talking about the UltraCote or MonoKote, those are bubbles and wrinkles. Iron the UltraCote and they vanish. Iron the MonoKote and they usually go away, but may come back. If they do, iron 'em again. My Skybolt has needed ironing at least 3 times.

NCIS

ccab17,

I have a Twist 150 with a Saito 150 on it that I'm breaking in and even with an exhaust deflector it gets soaked with oil because it's running real rich right now and the only thing that works on this particular plane is hot soapy water and a sponge. I clean it in the garage and after I get the oil off I finish up with Windex. It gives a good as new look everytime. I clean the engine with the same thing. Be sure not to get any in the carb and muffler. The inside is another story. I never open mine up unless I have a problem that I think I can fix. I just send them in to be fixed.

Gibbs

Deadeye

I use Sprayway window cleaner for a solvent. I quit using paper towels when I tried microfiber rags. Will NEVER go back to paper towels again.

jetmech05

This only applies to monocoat...If while applying trim using the wet method, using windex with ammonia, because it activates the adhesive. then it only makes sense that ammonia will lossen the adhesive as well if your just cleaning the plane. if you're using windex or any other glass cleaner make sure it's ammonia free