Painting a plug?

Tooling gelcoat?

Karl,
I would spray Hi Build epoxy undercoat after it is faired and then rub that back with wet and dry 240 grit. The hi build will further improve an already well faired surface. Then spray it with polyurethane and cut the back with 600 and 1200 and then a cutting compound. When finishing the paint keep an eye on reflexions in the surface finish. Objects that can be seen in the reflexion on the surface will have their outlines sharpen and eventually become very crisp as the finish improves. I used a hand held shop fluro with very fine lines in the diffuser. Starts off as a mass of light and when finished you can count the fine lines of the diffuser in the reflexion.
At least that is how I finished the rudder plug for the
Farrier trimaran that I'm building. Gives a top finish.

Duratec primer.

http://www.duratec1.com/dp04.html

errrr...or do what phill does. He's da'man.

Karl,

You didn't say if it was gas or electric. If gas, you will need Dope or hot fuel paint so the nitro doesn't eat it. Electric, then whatever the guys suggest. Why don't you go back to monocoat?
Forrest

Electric. 2800KV brushless motor on a 7x5 prop with a 75amp ESC and a 50c 2650ma battery. I've wanted to try making one out of carbon since I got into this stuff, and this will be the plug for the mold. Just fun a project for this winter. My first plane was a Zagi flying wing, and they are still my favorite thing to fly. Best guess is with the foam cored ones I'm getting close to 100mph level flight with no wind. But what starts slowing them down, especially in high winds, is the lack of rigidity. The wings will start literally flapping. I think a carbon shell would be incredibly stiff, and I'm betting it can be made lighter.

Nitro fuel sucks. I'm done with it. Gas or electric from here out, though I do have a really bad butt Saito .80 fourstroke I really like but don't want to part with. My big gasser is covered in monokote.

27% Extra 260 I frickin' love this plane.

I'm thinking long and hard about getting one of these this winter. Not sure how I feel about having a $6k model airplane though. It'd get a 120cc boxer twin gas engine. All composite construction too.

Winter is coming, and RC airplanes are a good way
to go through the withdraw pains of not being able to
sail the Cat !!

That said :
If i were to go through the labor of molding an RC airplane
then i'd start with a new one, because your making your
airfoil proportionally thicker by adding 1/6" to each side.
Or maybe you Want to slow it down a bit ?

I LIKE flying the Zaggy ; that thing can be flown into the
side of a brick-wall, and only the prop will need replacing;
i've don it !!

Bille

<img src="<>/laugh.gif" alt="laugh" title="laugh" height="15" width="15" />

Either way I need something to start with, but I do know what you are saying. I was actually just thinking about that early today, I'm not sure how much I'm changing the foil. It's getting thicker everywhere. I don't know? Beyond my comprehension... <img src="<>/blush.gif" alt="blush" title="blush" height="15" width="15" />

The other thought was to get another one and glass it. The change would be minimal that way. It could be done with some ridiculously thin glass.

It by far the toughest design out there. I've gone through a few... I pounded one into the ground so hard the motor and speed control couldn't be found. Landed/catostophically crashed in a damp freshly tilled field. The one I'm attempting to make the plug out of pancaked into dry hard ground last fall. Popped all three carbon spars in it. lol

You definitely need a Hero so you can get some vids of the action.

Racine Yacht club a couple of years ago. This is actually the dead wing I'm sheeting.

Turn the volume down. A electric motor spinning at 22k rpm is not a pleasant sound.

Cool!

Here's a 60" one that might carry your camera better
because it's got more aria ; hard to rationalize
molding & making one for $69 ;
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/... _Combat_Flying_Wing_EPP_1525mm_KIT_.html

Also, if your making one with EPP foam, then you Don't
need a mold, you need a Hot-wire.

Bille

Karl,

I might be able to help you out, I'm getting the CNC router up and running over Christmas. Plan is to cut foam for now but might move to MDF and Corian eventually for female molds. Really you don't need a mold for a flying wing, foam does fine.

Still, if you insist, make the plug as smooth as you can. Hand sanding molds is a real pain, but done right you can get some nice finishes. This is wing #5 of 18, before the PVA was removed, so its still dusty.

Sam, are you saying just to glass over the foam core? Currently these things come cnc wire cut out of EPP foam. I don't know about the weight vs another kind, like of the insulation variety (can't think of the type of foam that is).

I'm open to ideas. Like I said, I'm shooting for stiffer and lighter.