Stearman PT-18 Project (newbie)

[nightbeacons]

Like many others, I haven't touched a balsa wood model since I was a kid. My incentive for getting back into it, though, is to build a detailed, very accurate model of the Stearman (PT-18) -- my most-favorite Real-Life plane to fly. (It will be a static model to hang gloriously from my ceiling.)

I've got a ton of photos of the actual plane I flew (N1391V), but I'm short on experience. I've got the Guillows Kit (803), but decided to get back into the hobby with some easier models, and work my way up. So I'm starting with the Cessna 180 (Junior Contest Models), and a few other "beginners" models.

I've found some excellent tutorials on the web, and have had little trouble assembling the airframe & getting everything straight, solid & sanded.

I'm a little flummoxed by the covering stage, though, and could really use some advice. (The tutorials tend to say different things on this topic.)

When I was a kid, we glued tissue paper onto the frame, sprayed it down with water, let it dry (and shrink), then cover it with dope & then paint.

Some tutorials advocate using a Japanese type of tissue covering. Others tell you to use the stuff that comes in the box. Another one talked about a "silkspan" (??) covering. And yet another one suggested using a type of translucent plastic that went on very easily, and shrunk-to-fit when heated with a hair dryer or heat gun.

Do you put the paper on with the model glue? I've also read that you should use a thin coat of dope. Others say they've used glue sticks for the job.

Everyone also has an opinion on dope. I've read about "Nitrate" and "Butyrate" (??) varieties, plus some elusive substance called "thinner" (but not much explanatory material attached.)

As for painting, most of the web resources I've read seem to recommend acrylice paint for the nicest, most realistic finish. I am in the process of finding the FS color numbers for the PT-18 Army paint scheme -- hoping I can match the acrylic paints to the FS numbers I find.

I've also read about creating your own decals. I've got a bunch of hi-res photos of the actual plane (including some really detailed nose artwork). These have to go on the model. Some web sites discuss running the tissue paper through an inkjet printer. Others swear by a type of "decal paper" that can go through a color printer.

In short, my eventual goal is to create a very realistic, detailed (non-flying) model of that particular plane.

Would really appreciate any advice, pointers to reliable information sources, or any other info that might help.

Thanks so much!

Charlie

[SteveM]

I see you've done your research, that is a lot more than most people do before asking questions which is a refreshing change.

A lot of the choices you have read about have to do with your purpose in building the aircraft along with some personal choices in chemicals. People who fly their planes are worried about weight, but you won't have that concern which opens up a lot of choices.

Covering materials:
Domestic tissue - the stuff that comes in most Guillow's kits. You apply it dry with dope, thinned Elmer's glue, or even a glue stick then spray with water to tighten. Then you seal the tissue with dope, Elmer's glue, or a clear acrylic spray such as Crystal Clear by Krylon.
Japanese tissue - Much the same as domestic tissue but lighter and far more expensive. No need to bother with this for display planes.
Silkspan - A tissue-like product with interwoven fibers that give it greater strength than tissue. This is probably what you'll want to use as it is strong and can even be applied wet which makes covering compound curves easier. Some larger Guillow's kits come with silkspan, but you can always get more at the hobby shop.
Plastic film - Mainly used for flying planes, especially fuel powered planes that dump oil and fuel residue all over the plane. Usually comes in single colors which doesn't look so good on display models.

Covering adhesives:
Dope - A classic, works well but is very smelly. Comes in Nitrate and Butyrate formulations. The local hobby shop probably carries Butyrate, but if you can find Nitrate dope then use it since for your purposes it'll perform better. Butyrate tends to keep shrinking over time which can ruin a model, but it is fuel proof which is what an RC plane needs.
Elmer's glue - Use just like dope, most Guillow's kits now include some directions on how this is done. Damp silkspan applied to a wooden frame that has Elmer's glue brushed onto it is a fairly common technique. Of course you can apply the silkspan or tissue dry as well. I'd recommend trying Elmer's white glue first as it is far more friendly to the user and gives good results.
Glue Stick - Typically the purple stick that UHU makes. This has worked well for me and saves weight as there is no need to seal the wood frame first. Just run the stick around on the wood then stick your tissue on.

Paint
Pretty much everyone is using acrylics. Some use an air brush but many of us use a regular brush. The brand of choice is Liquitex, but many have good results with cheaper brands. You won't find the exact colors that you need so a little mixing of paint is required, a color wheel can aid in determining what colors to mix to get the desired result.

Decals
Yes, you can make your own but it requires special paper such as is sold by Micro-Mark and a fixative such Krylon Crystal Clear (get the matte finish, not the gloss). You can also paint on the decals if they are relatively simple. I've printed my own decals before, it took a lot of tries to get it right, but the result was rewarding and worth the trouble.

Links - Follow these and you'll be pleased with the results
David Duckett's covering tutorial
David Duckett's painting tutorial
David Duckett's PT-17 build pictures

Please keep us posted on your progress and post picture either here or on the Virtual Aerodrome.

[John G. Jedinak]

Charlie: SteveM's info is as good as it gets. I use almost exclusively Elmers white glue...full strength for the construction. I dilute the Elmers 50/50 with water for sealing the balsa b/4 covering, attaching the tissue and then sealing the tissue when completely covered. Another good source for basics is Mikes Flying Scale models at www.ffscale.co.uk. Be sure to read all the chapters. Luck...JGJ

[nightbeacons]

(Sorry for the delay - I was out of town last week)

Thanks so much for the fantastic information!

Now, to get started.


All the best,

Charlie

[John G Jedinak]

FWTW....just dis-assembled an Elmers glued nacelle... stringers, formers and longerons. Moisture and patience and I got the whole thing apart w/o damage. This a good reason to use the white glue.

[nightbeacons]

A quick follow-up --

What type of silkspan would be best for a static, non-flying model?
(The link you included points to several varieties)

Thanks again!

Charlie

[nightbeacons]

Also -- do you think this Nitrate Dope will do the trick? Does it need a special thinner? (I saw refs to "Nitrate Dope Thinner" -- wondering if this is necessary)

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/c ... pclrhi.php