Part 4, scratchbuilding a WWII E-Combat fighter, Assembly and Finishing
| To enclose all the components inside the fuselage of the KI61 it was determined that splitting the fuselage along the thrust line would offer the best way to both mount the motor and install the components. A bandsaw was used to cut the fuse from the motor mount to behind the rear od the wing. A Dremel with a router attachment was then used to cut a channel from the motor mount to the receiver compartment to route the wires, a pocket was routed for the receiver and speed controller in the top fuselage half, then another in the bottom for the battery ... NOTE the fuselage profile was not cut until after the pockets. The flat sides of the blank were easier to hold on the work surface as the pockets were routed. |
| The top and bottom fuselage halves were tack glued together for shaping and sanding with dots of five minute epoxy. It doesn't take much, just enough to hold the top and bottom to each other for sanding but no more than is necessary so they make be broken apart later for equipment installation. Start the fuselage shaping with 60 grit sandpaper on a sanding block. Use very little downforce, let the paper do the cutting for you. I mark top and bottom centerlines on the fuse and gradually sand and shape towards them. It is best to only move the sandpaper in one direction. Moving it back and forth greatly increases the chances of gouging out chunks of foam. Once you are close to the final shape use 180 grit paper to smooth out the surfaces. Now your fuselage is ready for paint. |
| Determine the location of your aileron servos. I try to put them right onto the CG. Trace around the servo then set the depth of your Dremel router attachment to match the servo thickness. After routing pockets for the servos cut a slot for the servo wires. |
Painting and Finishing:
The raw foam is painted with foam safe paints and then it is sprayed with a moderately heavy coating
of 3M 77 contact adhesive then taped with clear tape.
The KI61 uses a camouflage finish. The base Dove Grey is Delta Ceramcoat water based acrylic found
in most arts and craft stores (Michaels, Hobby Lobby, etc). The base coat is thinned 50/50 with water
and brushed on. Before painting the fuselage the canopy exterior framing is marked off with a
sharpie pen. Later this area is painted white or silver to suit the taste of the builder.
The second color for the camouflage was applied with a single action airbrush. The Delta Ceramcoat
does not work well in an airbrush due to the large size of the pigment. The paint must be thinned
70%-80% with water or windshield washer fluid to flow through the gun.
If I am painting during the day I set the painted parts in the sunlight for a couple of hours and then
move onto the taping step. If it is nightime when they are painted I let them cure overnight.
Mist on a moderately heavy layer of 3M77 spray contact adhesive. Let it sit for 15-30 minutes before
taping. Use thin clear tape. Look for the type that has twice as much on each roll. It is thinner and
easier to work with. It also shrinks out with a heat iron better than the standard packaging tape.
Good Luck with our scale WWII fighter
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE ELECTRIC COMBAT HOME PAGE
The raw foam is painted with foam safe paints and then it is sprayed with a moderately heavy coating
of 3M 77 contact adhesive then taped with clear tape.
The KI61 uses a camouflage finish. The base Dove Grey is Delta Ceramcoat water based acrylic found
in most arts and craft stores (Michaels, Hobby Lobby, etc). The base coat is thinned 50/50 with water
and brushed on. Before painting the fuselage the canopy exterior framing is marked off with a
sharpie pen. Later this area is painted white or silver to suit the taste of the builder.
The second color for the camouflage was applied with a single action airbrush. The Delta Ceramcoat
does not work well in an airbrush due to the large size of the pigment. The paint must be thinned
70%-80% with water or windshield washer fluid to flow through the gun.
If I am painting during the day I set the painted parts in the sunlight for a couple of hours and then
move onto the taping step. If it is nightime when they are painted I let them cure overnight.
Mist on a moderately heavy layer of 3M77 spray contact adhesive. Let it sit for 15-30 minutes before
taping. Use thin clear tape. Look for the type that has twice as much on each roll. It is thinner and
easier to work with. It also shrinks out with a heat iron better than the standard packaging tape.
Good Luck with our scale WWII fighter
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE ELECTRIC COMBAT HOME PAGE