Maj. Woody's Fei Bao L-39
12-20-2009, 02:56 PM
#328
RE: Maj. Woody's Fei Bao L-39
A lousy day for flying gave me some time to work on the L-39. I now have both wings, tip tanks, gears doors and hatched stripped as well as the main fuse hatch. The L-39 still looks bran new as can be seen by the shiny paint on the fuse.
Dom
Dom
12-22-2009, 07:19 PM
#334
RE: Maj. Woody's Fei Bao L-39
This is the color scheme I have chosen as a starting point. I will use these colors but omit the yellow checkerboard on the tail. I will also add plenty of nomenclature and some assorted markings followed by some light weathering. Finally a flat clear coat to seal it all in. I want a military look but it does not have to be 100% scale just 100% satisfying. I stopped by the auto paint store and dropped off the color chips. They are mixing the paint to order. I will be using a urethane base coat clear coat. I am way away from shooting color right now but wanted to get the paint asap. I will continue to document the transformation here.
Dom
Dom
12-23-2009, 09:25 AM
#337
RE: Maj. Woody's Fei Bao L-39
The clear coat is a ururethane with hardner and reducer and is the the same brand as the paint...Value Pro I think.
I was happy to try the Nelson but was unable to obtain the proper FS Numbers to match the paint. The auto paint store has another way of doing it.
Dom
I was happy to try the Nelson but was unable to obtain the proper FS Numbers to match the paint. The auto paint store has another way of doing it.
Dom
12-27-2009, 02:51 PM
#339
RE: Maj. Woody's Fei Bao L-39
The original gear door hinges on this jet are similar to the Skymaster hinges. They are very brittle and I have always had to carry a supply with me to change them out at the field. Well since I am painting this jet I decided to upgrade to the new FeiBao gear door hinge. This hinge is larger, thicker and made out of a different material than the old style. You won’t be breaking these puppies! I had these on my F-4J and F-5E and they were superior in every way to the originals. I have placed the old style next to the new style for comparison.
12-27-2009, 03:01 PM
#340
RE: Maj. Woody's Fei Bao L-39
I always cut the tabs that I won’t be using away from my hinges. It makes for a cleaner installation. Since these new hinges have a larger footprint, I needed to locate new holes in the gear doors to mount the hinges. I utilized the existing holes in the fuse for mounting that half of the hinge and had to drill new holes in my gear doors for the other half. I then backed up the old holes with masking tape and filled them from the other side with a mixture of 5 minute epoxy and micro balloons. These were wet sanded and will be undetectable after I prime and paint the jet. Finally you can see all doors mounted with the new hinges.
01-01-2010, 04:43 PM
#341
RE: Maj. Woody's Fei Bao L-39
It took 8.5 hours to strip the fuse today[sm=what_smile.gif]
I think she looks nice without the paint. The outline of the jet looks better to me. I really hated that other color scheme[:'(]
Here are some photos......
I think she looks nice without the paint. The outline of the jet looks better to me. I really hated that other color scheme[:'(]
Here are some photos......
01-01-2010, 04:56 PM
#343
RE: Maj. Woody's Fei Bao L-39
Hi Jed.
I applied the stripper exclusively to remove the paint as follows:
1. first coat will bubble the paint.
2. second coat will allow you to scrape it off.
3. third coat to start to clean the smears.
4. fourth coat to totally remove all smears
I did use alcohol at the end to rub down the plane to remove any traces of stripper.
Thanks for the tips with this project Jed. It was your F-5 job that inspired me
I applied the stripper exclusively to remove the paint as follows:
1. first coat will bubble the paint.
2. second coat will allow you to scrape it off.
3. third coat to start to clean the smears.
4. fourth coat to totally remove all smears
I did use alcohol at the end to rub down the plane to remove any traces of stripper.
Thanks for the tips with this project Jed. It was your F-5 job that inspired me
01-02-2010, 12:54 PM
#344
RE: Maj. Woody's Fei Bao L-39
Next task was to examine the airframe for any pinholes or areas that needed repair. I refer to this as CLE or Critical Light Examination. Holding the light just a few inches from the surface of the model will reveal any imperfections. I make the appropriate marks on the model with a lead pencil. I use an X for a high spot that I want to sand or blend better and a O around the areas that need fill. Very little filling was required as can be seen in the photos….not much red spot putty is visible. I do however have a fair amount of areas where spot putty was previously applied that I feel I can blend further to enhance the look of the finished product. My next step after this will be to scuff the entire airframe with 400 wet paper in preparation for the primer / sealer.
01-03-2010, 07:56 PM
#345
RE: Maj. Woody's Fei Bao L-39
I just finished wet sanding the entire jet with 400 wet paper. I am now ready to spray the primer / sealer. It is 11 degrees here in New York so Painting is going to be tricky. I have a propane heater (Dyna Pro) so my plan is to wait for a day that is around 30 degrees outside and then use the heater to warm up the garage.
01-09-2010, 08:12 AM
#348
RE: Maj. Woody's Fei Bao L-39
I just finished building all the paint jigs used to hold the model while I paint it. My plan is to spray the sealer primer tomorrow. It is only going to be a high of 23 degrees tomorrow so my plan is contingent on getting the garage warmed up to 80 degrees. If I lay paint tomorrow I will post pictures of my progress.
01-09-2010, 11:56 AM
#349
RE: Maj. Woody's Fei Bao L-39
Dom,
One thing to consider is that you don't need 80 degrees. I'm no expert, but you can spray the 2-part automotive stuff at cooler temperatures. There are different reducers you can use for the cooler temps. Also, its more important what the temp of the paint and the surface is - you can keep those inside somewhere else until you spray and that helps. Also, after you spray, after 10-20 minutes, you can move the part to a warmer area for it to fully cure. These have been my experiences in painting in a cooler area of the country, YMMV...
Bob
One thing to consider is that you don't need 80 degrees. I'm no expert, but you can spray the 2-part automotive stuff at cooler temperatures. There are different reducers you can use for the cooler temps. Also, its more important what the temp of the paint and the surface is - you can keep those inside somewhere else until you spray and that helps. Also, after you spray, after 10-20 minutes, you can move the part to a warmer area for it to fully cure. These have been my experiences in painting in a cooler area of the country, YMMV...
Bob