stuntflyr

Hi All,
I grew up building models. Dad was a modeler and taught me a bunch when I was a young boy until teen years. He was big into C/L Stunt. Until three years ago I flew C/L Stunt and Scale and a little F/F rubber and power. When I started building R/C models I saw that the ARF thing had gotten to the point where most canopies were screwed on or taped on, or so I thought.

I began restoring an old Sterling R/C kit and found that the original designer had taped the canopy onto the model! Interesting to me, anyone know the thought behind this or origin of this practice?

Well, I found a very nice illustrated article on how to install a plastic canopy onto a wood model with glue and fair it into the surface invisibly and permanently.

Look at this link; http://www.stunthanger.com/can.htm
Very simple and neat. Can be adapted to almost any model or material with a bit of imagination. Would make those Scale models really sharp without those big ole' screws!

Hoping to add to the collective building skills,

Chris...

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

It's a personal preference. Glue it on, screw it on or tape it on and you'll never see it at 500ft.

Besides, it's always nice to have access to the cockpit should your pilot come loose or whatever.

Now, some guys just like to have really clean looking models, so if you want to go through the extra work, have at it!

alfredbmor

Great tip, thanks for sharing. It would be nice that many of us share interesting tips like this one to build better models.

Alfred.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Like Mike said, a lot of ways to skin that cat. Screws are fast and easy, I don't like them, a choice thing. I have one plane with it held on with two colors of electrical tape to match the covering, it has worked out well and held on for a lot of years. I sometimes make a frame out of 1/8 balsa and glue the canopy onto that. I paint the lower inside of the canopy and you can't see the frame. Never use CA glue on a canopy you can see through, even if it's just tinted with Ritt Dye. CA fogs the plastic, you can buy canopy glue and it works very well. Just too many ways to mention. The plane I'm finishing up right now has a very long canopy and micro balloons and epoxy would look good with it feathered in. I may do that on this plane. Sometimes being able to remove the canopy is a plus.

Zor

Here is another idea that woked very well

Zor

Campgems

Interesting timing on this topic, we were kicking it around that the field Sat. The subject was how to attach a canopy that you couldn't screw down or that had no flanges to glue down. The canopy cement was suggested. I've just a little left of a bottle of Elmer's clear caulking that I used to install some glass in a display case back in 1994. It still is working. It is a lot like the canopy cement in that it it is a white liquid that drys clear. It is tough as nails when hardened. The problem may be that it is no longer available.

If Ican, I get at least six pan head screws, or better yet the Dubro button head sheet metal screws to hold the canopy in place, then Iuse one of the basic colors of Detail Tape from Kragans auto to finish the trim. It comes in 1/8" and 1/4" widths and if it is put on clean covering and canopy, it holds up very well. Iuse the 1/8" width in black to define thepattern on the covering.

The issue with canopy cement or my caulking istwo fold. It is very slow drying and it is difficultto hold every thing tight while it is setting. I mean three or four days and it maynot be fully set, depending if air can get inside the canopy or not. The other issue is being ableto remove it for a wandering pilot or otherreasons. The screw and tape or tape only seems to solve those problems.

Don

Zor

I do not have much to add to this topic else than many canopies are held by a couple of little dowels at the front and a couple of little magnets at the rear.

Zor