Top Flite TOPA0155 - Manual (Page 56)

FINISHING
Final preparations
At this point all the major airframe construction
should be completed. If you plan to add scale details
not featured in the manual, consider whether to add
them before or after the model has been covered.
❏
1. If you haven’t already done so, remove all
components from the plane that will interfere with
sanding, covering and painting such as the engine,
pushrods, landing gear etc. Disconnect the clevises
from the elevator and rudder. Slide the pushrods
back into the guide tubes so they won’t be sticking
out of the fuse when final-sanding and covering.
❏
2. Inspect all surfaces for uneven glue joints and
seams that require filler. Apply filler where needed.
Many small dents or scratches in balsa can be
repaired by moistening the area with water and
allowing to dry. This will swell the wood so it can be
sanded smooth when dry.
❏
3. Final sand the entire model with progressively
finer grits of sandpaper, finishing with 400-grit. Don’t
press down too hard while sanding over sheeted areas
(
which is pretty much the whole model!). This can
cause thin spots in the sheeting over ribs and formers.
It’s also helpful to use fresh, new sandpaper.
Trim scheme
The Sea Fury on the kit box was inspired by a Sea
Fury used for pylon racing. Although it is a racing
trim scheme, it is also representative of a wartime
trim scheme. The model was covered in Top Flite
MonoKote dove gray and insignia blue. The wing
fillets and the top of the fuse aft of the invasion
stripes were covered in dove gray, then painted with
Top Flite LustreKote insignia blue. All the plastic
parts (except for the canopy) and the cowl were
painted with LustreKote as well. The invasion stripes
on the wing and fuse were made from black and
white MonoKote. If painting the model instead of
using iron-on film, the balsa sheeting must first be
sealed–typically by covering the structure with light-
weight glass cloth and polyester or epoxy resin.
There are many products in the hobby industry
specially developed for this purpose. Glass cloth and
resin is the most durable and long-lasting way to
finish a balsa model, though it is also the most time
consuming and has the potential to add much weight
if not done correctly.
If you prefer not to duplicate the trim scheme on the
kit box, design your own trim scheme or follow your
documentation photos.
The following instructions provide details on how to
finish the Sea Fury like the model on the kit box
cover using MonoKote film and LustreKote paint.
Cover the model
❏
1. Use a dust brush, compressed air or a Top Flite
Tack Cloth to remove all balsa dust from the model.
Thoroughly clean your work area, removing any
balsa dust or particles that could get underneath the
covering. Get out your covering tools and “gear up”
your work shop for covering.
❏
2. Cover the most difficult parts first starting with
the fuse. Use a trim seal tool to iron 1/4" [6.4mm]
wide strips of covering where the fin and stab join.
Cut the covering where necessary so it can go
around the leading edge.
❏
3. Cover both sides of the fin overlapping the 1/4"
[6.4mm] strips at the base. The fin fillet is covered
separately in multiple pieces of gray, then painted
blue later.
❏
4. Cover the bottom, then the top of both sides of
the stab.
❏
5. If the trim scheme you have selected features
invasion stripes, use your own method or the Hot Tip
that follows to make invasion stripes from MonoKote.
Warning: Never cut the covering on critical
structural areas of the model such as the stab
sheeting, fin sheeting and wing sheeting—
especially near the fuse where the stresses can
be high. Modelers who cut the covering on the
model tend to cut into the sheeting, weakening it.
Occasionally, it may be necessary to make a
small cut in the covering here and there. This is
acceptable as long as the cut is small and is not
over sheeting on a critical area. Cuts that go
across the grain weaken the balsa more than
cuts that go with the grain.
-56-