I put this question on the Sig LT-40 PIF build thread, but it doesn't seem to be as closely watched these days, so thought I might place it here as well. Thanks.

"I just found this thread - I'm a beginning RC flyer looking to build my first kit airplane. I've assembled and flown 2 RTF's, a Hobby Zone Super Cub, which I can fly on my own, and a Hangar 9 Alpha 60, which I am flying with my club instructor (about 15 dual flights so far, no solo). The Alpha flies fast most of the time, unless I slow it to the point of worrying about stalling. So I would like to get more building experience (I took the Alpha completely apart - removed everything I could and reinforced or reinstalled with more bracing, foam packing, lock tite on screws, etc.) and also end up with more of a basic trainer type of A/C. I've selected the Sig Kadet LT-25 due to its' laser cut parts and slower flying trainer capabilities, so this thread has become invaluable to me. My only fear now is the covering part, because I haven't really done anything like that - just used an iron frequently to remove wrinkles or patch some small holes or tears in the Alpha skin (the original engine, an Evolution 60 wouldn't transition between low and high speed idles without stumbling or stalling, and my instructor had to dead stick it about 10 times, with some minor injuries when unable to get back to our runway, so I replaced it with an OS 60 FX and all is well).

I see where others have been looking to get this thread in a PDF or Word file. What is the status of that and can anybody tell me if it can be downloaded without my having to do it myself on a page by page basis? Any other thoughts or suggestions about the LT-25 would also be appreciated. But I just want to express my profound thanks to RCKen and all others who either created or participated in this amazing thread. What a find for a new guy (actually an old retired guy at this point) like me. I fly in the CA desert in the wintertime, and we travel in an RV during the summer, so I am running out of building time (not much room in a coach for anything other than my Cub I'm afraid). Thanks again to you all for this information and guidance."

Hmm, not sure how I missed your post over on the LT-40 build thread, and I'm sorry that I did miss it. I've looked at converting the thread to a PDF several times, but the amount time involved with creating the PDF has always been restrictive. I've just haven't had the time to get one made.

On your concerns about covering, RCU member MinnFlyer has done some great how-to articles and videos on covering. check them out as they will go a long way to getting you started.

[link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/article_display.cfm?article_id=67] Minnflyer Covering how-to [/link]
[link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/article_display.cfm?article_id=726] Minnflyer, Another Look at Covering[/link]

Ken

RCKEN:

Since posting my questions & concerns I both have had time to more fully read and view your pictures of your covering of the LT-40, and also stumbled on both the article & videos by MinnFlyer - both really useful. So I actually feel much better about tackling the job. Only problem now is getting the plane. All the online hobby sites are out, and Sig is not going to be able to send any more LT-25's out until they get decals for this production run. But I became totally impressed with Sig when I contacted them to order directly from them and they agreed to send me a kit without the decals and would mail them when they came in. A first class customer service attitude, and I look forward to getting the kit in time to build and fly it before we depart the hot desert for cooler climes. And thank you so much again for your great work in writing up your LT-40 build. It is so valuable, I will just make my own Word or PDF file page by page, and put in links to the photos. I'm still trying to figure out how to use Photoshop to take my 3D drawing of the LT-40, which is close enough to the LT-25 for planning, to make my color and design plans for the covering. It will be some combination of Red & Yellow solid colors with the wing and tail feather structures covered in transparent yellow to allow me to see my hard work. The kit ships tomorrow I am told so pretty soon the real fun starts!

Here you go, this should help!!!!

RCKEN:

Since posting my questions & concerns I both have had time to more fully read and view your pictures of your covering of the LT-40, and also stumbled on both the article & videos by MinnFlyer - both really useful. So I actually feel much better about tackling the job. Only problem now is getting the plane. All the online hobby sites are out, and Sig is not going to be able to send any more LT-25's out until they get decals for this production run. But I became totally impressed with Sig when I contacted them to order directly from them and they agreed to send me a kit without the decals and would mail them when they came in. A first class customer service attitude, and I look forward to getting the kit in time to build and fly it before we depart the hot desert for cooler climes. And thank you so much again for your great work in writing up your LT-40 build. It is so valuable, I will just make my own Word or PDF file page by page, and put in links to the photos. I'm still trying to figure out how to use Photoshop to take my 3D drawing of the LT-40, which is close enough to the LT-25 for planning, to make my color and design plans for the covering. It will be some combination of Red & Yellow solid colors with the wing and tail feather structures covered in transparent yellow to allow me to see my hard work. The kit ships tomorrow I am told so pretty soon the real fun starts!

Sorry for the duplicate posting; only wanted to say thanks for the 3D drawing.

RCKEN & anybody interested:

Here is my effort to take the 3D drawings of the LT-40 and layout a pattern with colors using Photoshop, which I admit to not being very good at. If I got the images attached right to this posting, any ideas or suggested changes are welcomed. I plan on using transparent Ultracote on the yellow wing & stab panels (also vertical stab not shown), Cub Yellow Ultracote on all other parts (i.e., fuse) & Dark Red Ultracote where indicated on wing & stab, with a similar red trim on the vertical stab and rudder. Probably will also add a thick red pinstripe over the cowling and down both sides of the fuse, ending before the tail feathers.[img][/img]

It's a good looking scheme, but I do have one suggestion. Make the bottom of the plane different than the top of the plane. Right now there is no way to tell which is which as they are identical. This can be a killer in the air if you can't quickly tell which is the bottom and which is the top.

Ken

Yeah you can get into quick orientation problems when the top matches the bottow. Some good bold contrasting stripes running from the leading edge to the trailing edge would be good.

Would it work to do something like transparent green on the bottom instead of the transparent yellow? Or dark green trim instead of the dark red trim around the transparent yellow on the bottom? I am only trying to keep as much of the interior wood work visible as I can, because it is such a beautiful kit, if I don't screw it up too badly. I first thought about green trim on the bottom and red on the top, but then thought it might be a bit too much (look like a stop light). On my Alpha, I put multicolored stripes on the top and checkered colors on the bottom, and it really helps me to see it, besides being a big plane (but no transparent covering needed or wanted). I'm also thinking of making the shapes really more different on the top than the bottom, but I know that color differentiation is much easier to see than anything else. I suppose a simple solution would be to run a couple of stripes (red?) right in the middle of the lower wing so as not to spoil the appearance of the upper wing, but I really don't want to do that if I don't have to. How do the big Sig Kadet flyers differentiate their top and bottom views, or any other big trainers for that matter?

Photo of my Kadet Senior. Also here's a link to my Webshots albums for my Kadet. Feel free to browse. http://rides.webshots.com/album/2024...Au?vhost=rides http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/...65052672ydAUZw

Wow, Tom, you must need a couple of guys to pull on those rubber bands. That's a nice looking Kadet.

Yeah, thanks for the compliment. The Kadet Senior is pretty big. I learned how to fly on it, and still have it. It's never been in a bad crash, just some minor bad landings as can be expected. It really floats from what I remember. It's only a three channel so you kind of have to fly on days with fairly light winds. With a TT GP42 it's not a powerhorse and its best trick is flying slow. I will admit that when I was flying on my own, I would fly out too far and then I would have to get it turned around and fly it back. If I got it nice and high, I could do a half loop to inverted and try to hold it. But with all that dihedral, it really likes to fall out to level flight. I'm going to have to get it out, it's been a "hangar maiden" for too many years.

Yeah, putting on the rubber bands almost takes two guys. Look how big it is!