Top Flite TOPA0300 - Manual (Page 48)

The Cessna 182 does not require m
uch
painting to obtain the scheme sho
wn on the bo
x
as most of the finish is done with T
op Flite
MonoK
ote
. The only painting that is required are
the plastic par
ts such as the co
wl, wheel pants
,
fa
ir
ings and wing str
uts
. There are man
y other
schemes used on Cessnas b
ut the one sho
wn
on the bo
x has pro
v
en to be highly visib
le in the
air and is “scale
.”
The technique w
e
will descr
ibe here is the
ho
w the model pictured on the bo
x w
as finished.
In gener
a
l, it in
v
olv
es co
v
e
ring most of the model
with MonoK
ote
, then pr
iming and painting the
co
wl and surf
ace details
. Mak
e sure the
str
ucture is smoothly sanded with
320-grit
sandpaper
. Remo
v
e
all dust from the str
ucture
so the MonoK
ote will stic
k w
ell.
Co
v
er the aircr
aft with MonoK
ote using the
sequence belo
w
. Mak
e sure the MonoK
ote is
thoroughly stuc
k do
wn to the str
ucture and all of
the edges are sealed. Use a
T
op Flite
MonoK
ote Hot Soc
k
on y
our co
v
e
ring iron to
a
v
oid scr
atching the MonoK
ote
.
NO
TE:
When co
v
e
ring areas that in
v
olv
e shar
p
junctions
, (lik
e the tail section) cut narro
w str
ips
(3/8” to 1/2”) and apply them in the cor
ners
bef
ore
co
v
e
ring the major surf
aces
. The larger
pieces of MonoK
ote will o
v
er
lap and capture
these smaller pieces
. This technique also
b
ypasses the need to cut the MonoK
ote in these
areas after it has been applied.
DO NO
T
, under an
y cir
c
umstances, attempt
to cut the co
vering material after it has
been applied to the Fin and Stab, e
xcept
ar
ound the leading and trailing edg
es and
the tip. Modeler
s who do this often cut
thr
ough the co
vering and par
t-wa
y
into the
balsa stab skin. This can weaken the stab to the point where it ma
y fail in flight!
1.
T
ail J
unction Str
ips (See note abo
v
e
.)
2.
Rudder
, left side
3.
Rudder
, r
ight side
4.
Bottom of ele
v
ators
5.
T
op of ele
v
ators
6.
Stab bottom
7.
Stab top
8.
Fin, left side
9.
Fin, r
ight side
10.
Fuse bottom
11.
Fuse sides
12.
Fuse top
13.
Ends of ailerons and flaps
14.
Bottom of ailerons and flaps
15.
T
op of ailerons and flaps
16.
TE surf
aces of wing (at ailerons and flaps)
17.
Bottom of left wing panel
18.
Bottom of r
ight wing panel
1
9
.
Bottom of center panel (o
v
e
rlap co
v
e
ring
1/4” at the outer panels)
20.
T
op of left wing panel (o
v
e
rlap co
v
e
ring 1/4”
at wing LE)
2
1
.
T
op of r
ight wing panel (o
v
e
rlap co
v
e
ring
1/4” at the LE)
2
2
.
T
op of center wing panel (o
v
e
rlap co
v
e
ring
1/4” at the outer panels)
Recommended co
vering sequence
piece of MonoK
ote film about 2” larger than
the area to be co
v
ered. Str
ip off the bac
king
and position the film. T
a
c
k
the film do
wn
smac
k dab in the mid
dle of the Stab
.
3. Pull (as in stretch) the film to
w
ard the tip
,
sealing it to the balsa from
the center out to
the tip
. W
o
rk
out an
y
wrinkles and air
poc
kets
as y
ou proceed with a combination of
circular and bac
k and f
o
rth motions
.
4. Do the same procedure w
o
rking the
opposite direction
from the center
.
5. Pull and seal
dia
gonall
y to
war
d
the f
our
corner
s
, alw
a
ys star
ting from the center
. The
tr
ic
k is to shr
ink out an
y wr
inkles bef
ore y
o
u
seal the film to the surf
ace
.
6. Use a heat gun to heat and stretch the film around cur
v
ed surf
aces lik
e the stab and
rudder tips
, while pulling on the e
xcess
mater
ial. Y
ou ma
y need to pull hard to get out
all of the wr
inkles
, so w
ear a glo
v
e
if y
ou need
to
. F
ollo
w-up the heat gun with y
our sealing
iron to secure the bond. The idea behind this approach (which can be applied to an
y par
t of the model) is to
pre-
stretc
h the MonoK
ote
as it’
s applied, and
remo
v
e
the air poc
k
ets that can e
xpand later
which cause the sags and wr
inkles
.
Y
ou can pr
actically eliminate wr
inkles caused
when the model is left out in the sun or in the bac
k of y
our car b
y
f
ollo
wing this technique
used in the
T
op Flite
model shop
.
1. Co
v
e
r y
our sealing iron with a
T
op Flite Hot
Soc
k
and tur
n
the heat about 3/4 of the w
a
y to
the high setting. 2. Sa
y w
e
are going to co
v
er the Stab — Cut a
Co
ver the structure with MonoK
ote
®
48