Need to finish out an all balsa fuse 2 meter plane. Lets hear your thoughts.....

Fiberglass/paint
Monokote
some super light kote
nelson film....

Primary here is light weight, from 5 feet is looks great.

Thanks for the assistance.

Chuck

(1.) 2-3 coats of thinned 100% nitrate dope sanded between coats
(2.) cover with silkspan
(3.) 2-3 coats thinned nitrate dope lightly sanded between coats
(4.) 1-2 coats full strength nitrate dope
(5.) spray 1 med coat primer, sand well
(6.) spray 1 light coat primer, sand lightly
(7.) spray epoxy or urethane paint

also consider electric and glow finishes please.

Here ya go Chuck, Look on the right side of page.

[link=http://members.cox.net/don.ramsey/index.htm]Don's Video[/link]

I got it to see if I wanted to paint or ultracote my Symphony wings.

Take care Dylan

So Dylan, did you decide? I presume the Don Ramsey video uses two-part auto paint, which I have so far avoided because of the toxicity problem, although I concede it does give a beautiful result when you have the proper set-up to do it.

I have used the KlassKote epoxy and Nelson Hobby two-part polyurethane with results that are 'good enough for government work,' but my finishes don't compare to some of the nice jobs I see on the flight line, and I've never weighed the pre- and post-paint stages. These finishes are not super-light, but they don't seem especially heavy either. Glass & primer prep are of course crucial foundations, and proper sanding down the color coats also makes a big difference. I use a polyurethane clear coat to finish both the Nelson and KlassKote jobs. Final result is not a mirror finish, but looks OK and flies fine (to an old fart, anyway).

Also, look at this list of material weights from Don's site:

http://members.cox.net/don.ramsey/WeightComponents.htm



Mark

Major tom, I think the paint can be done lighter. However, on my Symphony wings I'm probably going to Use Lance's method(K-factor december 06) of sheeting/coring and just ultracote them. I want to do the paint I just have heck finding the time.

BTW Don's Insight looks good with lots of flights.

I just saw the new coring method article last night... it looks great, will give it a try on my next wing job. I take the Ultracote way out on wings and tailfeathers, but like to glass & paint the fuselage.

Has anyone dealt with Nelson LiteFilm?

Thanks

CHuck
Nat's wings at sparks contest were covered with nelson lite film
You need to talk to him about it and his "new "wing
Eddie

Firstly sand the fus smooth as you can
I then use Dope and mix it with talcum powder to the consistencey I require (fairly thin) Apply this with a brush or paint scraper.
Allow this to dry and sand as normal
This will fill grain in the wood and adds next to no weight to the aircraft
Only problem is it is fairly dusty when sanding.
I also use this method at a thicker consistency to fill minor dents etc
Undercoat
Paint
I use automotive acrylics