Phil Kraft Kwik Fli III
#1
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Phil Kraft Kwik Fli III
I need a little info. I am currently building a Kwik Fli III . I want the finished airplane to look exactly like Phil Kraft's when he won the Nationals in 1968.
Can anyone tell me what covering and paint he used? (silk-koverall-monocote(I don't think so) covering. Paint was an orange with blue striping. I suspect he used dope / hobbypoxy or similar.
Any info would be appreciated.
Thanks
Can anyone tell me what covering and paint he used? (silk-koverall-monocote(I don't think so) covering. Paint was an orange with blue striping. I suspect he used dope / hobbypoxy or similar.
Any info would be appreciated.
Thanks
#4
Latest version of this document is here. There, at page 6, is a link to an older post which answers your question regarding paint. I only assume that covering was silk. I don't know how his model looked like at the 1968 Nationals, though, unless it was the same as at the 1967 Worlds.
The RC Hall of Fame has a few pictures from these Worlds including a color picture of the original Kwik-Fli III. Tried to brighten it up, see attached, together with another one which is hard to correct. The model has the FAI stickers on wing and fuselage and shows Phil Kraft's AMA number not only on top of the right wing but also (smaller) on the left fuselage side.
Last edited by UStik; 03-04-2014 at 03:58 AM.
#5
My Feedback: (2)
I was taught to fly pattern by a fellow who moved to Texas in the late 1960's from LA. He said he built all his planes exactly the same way as PK (I have no particular reason to doubt him). Covering was silk and dope with International Orange as the base, silver, and Aerogloss Metallic Blue as the trim. Even used cloth hinges (I still remember the hinge technique). You first painted the plane silver all over. Next mask the trim outlines and spray the whole thing orange. Prior to removing the tape, painted the blue with a brush. Finally, remove the trim tape, and spray a few coats of clear, and you're done. Simple, fast, and pretty! The World Championship wing was supposedly from an earlier Mark II with a new fuse to create the Mark III. I think the Mark II was likely the one pictured on the box label of the old Jensen Mark II kit. It's possible that the one pictured in the M.A.N. construction article is the one Mr. Kraft talks about crashing in his later article on the Flea Fli. I never knew Phil Kraft personally, but was a real fan for many years. I still have copies of the Dragon Fli and Fire Fli plans that were sent to me personally by PK. An interesting and attractive variation of the paint scheme is to prime the whole plane white, mask, and spray red with Aerogloss Blue in the center of the stripes. Back in the day, I used a DuBro 14 in. canopy with light blue tint on my Mark III which looked identical to the World Championship plane. Again, I was told that's what PK used. If anyone has more inside knowledge, I would love to hear from them. I have a Home and Hobby kit of the Mark III that I've been intending to build for the last few years, and have even gathered the necessary silk and dope for the job. Having more info just might give me the spark to really get going on the project!
#6
RC,
Nearly the same covering technic is used by me too, silk and dope, and then first spray painting the whole plane in white primer, and than only the locations that are visible after the tape is removed (but some wider!), white, for the wide dashes on the fuselage and the wings.
The Kwik Fli has one color; orange, the Taurus does have two, red and black so that is spray painted with use of masking tape in two steps after the white.
At the end the red and black decorations on wing and fuselage, but these the Kwik Fli doesn't have.
I do have a lot of detailed photograps, so if you are interested, I can show you.
One photograph to show an important fact. Even with the primer the total paint layer is thin!! Important to prevent cracks and reduce weigth.
The RC Hall of Fame has a few pictures from these Worlds including a color picture of the original Kwik-Fli III. Tried to brighten it up, see attached, together with another one which is hard to correct.
Second photograph after brighten up the colors.
TF
Nearly the same covering technic is used by me too, silk and dope, and then first spray painting the whole plane in white primer, and than only the locations that are visible after the tape is removed (but some wider!), white, for the wide dashes on the fuselage and the wings.
The Kwik Fli has one color; orange, the Taurus does have two, red and black so that is spray painted with use of masking tape in two steps after the white.
At the end the red and black decorations on wing and fuselage, but these the Kwik Fli doesn't have.
I do have a lot of detailed photograps, so if you are interested, I can show you.
One photograph to show an important fact. Even with the primer the total paint layer is thin!! Important to prevent cracks and reduce weigth.
The RC Hall of Fame has a few pictures from these Worlds including a color picture of the original Kwik-Fli III. Tried to brighten it up, see attached, together with another one which is hard to correct.
TF
Last edited by Taurus Flyer; 03-27-2014 at 02:19 PM.
#7
Hi Taurus flyer
silk and dope seems to give a more classic sense to an aircraft, I haven't ever tried this method of covering but am interested in.
would you mind posting some info around this issue or addressing me to a link of this old fashioned thechinic.
ehsan
silk and dope seems to give a more classic sense to an aircraft, I haven't ever tried this method of covering but am interested in.
would you mind posting some info around this issue or addressing me to a link of this old fashioned thechinic.
ehsan
#8
ehsan hello,
Most of painting steps you can find on these pages of my project. The reconstruction of the first (succesful) Taurus of Ed Kazmirski.
At this page, at the bottom, you'll find the replica while the fuselage is already painted in primer, also the stab is silk and dope covered. The wings are covered with silk and dope too.
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/clas...-earth-15.html
The next page does show the steps to paint the Taurus.
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/clas...-earth-16.html
In the added picture Hanna and I show the "transformation" of our company product.
The description of covering with silk is not detailed because on other places there is written about that. If you are interested, let me know and I'll add a post to the thread to show more about that part of the subject, as part of "reconstruction of the history", of Old School.
As fas as I know I am the only modeler showing photographs about these kind of covering of pattern model airplanes of the past.
Cees
Picture 1, quality control by Hanna
Picture 2, end result
Picture 3 ONE MORE NOTE:
When you think, post 398 and 399 of my thread, second page ?????
Well the SPA boys are trying to disturb my project and that was the reason I started my own thread about my very valuable and time consuming project.
In this case I read (again) about an "inch" fuselage length that should have been measured before by one of them.
For who is interested in the end of this part of the discussion, see the added picture 3 after they could measure the length of that Top Flite (preproduction) fuselage at the moment it was in the AMA museum, simple exact the length as always told by me. It is a pity it did have to go this way!!
Most of painting steps you can find on these pages of my project. The reconstruction of the first (succesful) Taurus of Ed Kazmirski.
At this page, at the bottom, you'll find the replica while the fuselage is already painted in primer, also the stab is silk and dope covered. The wings are covered with silk and dope too.
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/clas...-earth-15.html
The next page does show the steps to paint the Taurus.
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/clas...-earth-16.html
In the added picture Hanna and I show the "transformation" of our company product.
The description of covering with silk is not detailed because on other places there is written about that. If you are interested, let me know and I'll add a post to the thread to show more about that part of the subject, as part of "reconstruction of the history", of Old School.
As fas as I know I am the only modeler showing photographs about these kind of covering of pattern model airplanes of the past.
Cees
Picture 1, quality control by Hanna
Picture 2, end result
Picture 3 ONE MORE NOTE:
When you think, post 398 and 399 of my thread, second page ?????
Well the SPA boys are trying to disturb my project and that was the reason I started my own thread about my very valuable and time consuming project.
In this case I read (again) about an "inch" fuselage length that should have been measured before by one of them.
For who is interested in the end of this part of the discussion, see the added picture 3 after they could measure the length of that Top Flite (preproduction) fuselage at the moment it was in the AMA museum, simple exact the length as always told by me. It is a pity it did have to go this way!!
Last edited by Taurus Flyer; 03-28-2014 at 05:38 AM.
#9
Possibly someone can help me. Before the fairly recent RC Universe upgrade I could block replies from selected members. I'm not sure how to accomplish this since the upgrade. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Thanks.
#10
Flaps,
You mean by a kind of "ignore list"?
Select you avatar (left side mouse button) for your profile, than top of the screen, right side there is a yellow square ''settings'' to select (left side mouse button).
Scroll down and you find the location the ignore list can be edited, see the picture.
Cees
You mean by a kind of "ignore list"?
Select you avatar (left side mouse button) for your profile, than top of the screen, right side there is a yellow square ''settings'' to select (left side mouse button).
Scroll down and you find the location the ignore list can be edited, see the picture.
Cees
Last edited by Taurus Flyer; 04-04-2014 at 06:18 AM.