Shane let me borrow one of his wings to copy - maybe this way I can overcome my geometry issues...

Alrighty then,
So you do sell the Blanik?

The Dremel and my Perma-Grit cut-off wheel got a workout this evening:

Nice linkages......good to see someone who believes that 2/56 hardware is for park flyers!

Did some surfacing of the wings today.

Easy work, bugger all material (or skill) needed:

• painters tape (for the sharp edge)
• Squadron green putty
• sandpaper
• primer

How I went about it:

1. Determine where the major panel joints are. For the Blanik L-13 there are only a few that are obvious. Refer to photos of the prototype and a good 3-view. Scale up the locations and mark them on the wing.
   
2. Place the tape beside the markings taking care to which side of the line you place the tape. e.g. on the L-13 wings, the inboard skins overlap the outer skins, so the tape goes on the outer side. But for the tip, the fairing fits over the wing, so the tape goes inboard. Press the tape firmly in place to try and prevent the filler 'bleeding' under
   
3. Apply the putty on the correct side of the line - it doesn't take much. I applied it approximately 6mm - 10mm wide using a plastic card. On Dave Platt's advice, (and my bad experience), it's best to not directly apply the filler from the tube. The tube dries up easily. I applied the filler onto the card and then 'squeegied' it in place . It is also best not to over work the material - its forms a skin very quickly. I try to only swipe it on once or twice.
   
4. Wait an hour or so for the filler to dry - again, it doesn't take long as it's not too thick
   
5. Remove the tape carefully. I had a couple of spots where the putty bled and cleaned up the edge using a sharp scraper
   
6. Carefully sand the 'freehand' i.e. the side that wasn't taped, flush with the surrounding surface
   
7. Prime. I also applied primer to the area where ribs and the spar are on the prototype to provide some extra thickness for when I machine in my rivets.

Note that the flaps and ailerons weren't done - they will get the fabric covered structure treatment just like the rudder as previously demonstrated.

After that I will still need to add access panels etc

More surfacing work....

Another backwards step........

Sometimes I hate my high standards.

I was not happy with the rudder finish after my 1st goof-off

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showp...&postcount=308

Scraping away the paint caused gouges, that no matter how much I sanded and re-primed could still be seen. After 3 or 4 goes I decided there was only one way to overcome it. Stripper.



No, not that sort...........



This sort.

You dirty people......

Ditto with my stab/elevator. I applied a coat of primer and got orange peel. Sanded it all smooth, tried again and got the same result.

Let's start on them again....

Bugger! You know the worst thing will be if you topcoat the model and all the detail dissapears. Great work Glen it's looking really good.

Surfacing begins on the upper surfaces

After a week away from the Blanik, I finally got a chance to do a little work on her.

The flap and ailerons rib simulation is drying now ready for a sand in the morning.

I've come to the realisation that I won't have her finished to the standard I want in the 35 days prior to Campers, so I'll more than likely forego the rivets. You see I've been tossing up whether to actually cover the model in aluminium, and during the week spent a load of $$$ on Flite-Metal, so I'm committed to going with a natural ali finish. So she'll still get panel overlaps, but the rivetting method for a natural metal finish is different than for a painted finish, so it'll be a quick paintjob for Camperdown, and on the assumption that the model survives , I'll strip it and refinish it next year...