Finishing the SR Batteries 1/4 Scale Fokker Eindecker E1

Because this is a large model, large sanding blocks are the best choice to prepare for covering.  Take the time to get it right because you'll notice the difference and this model is certainly worthy of a first rate finish.

The aluminum tape included in the accessory pack conforms very well to the surfaces it is applied to.  Do not make the mistake of thinking it will hide gaps and surface imperfections because it won't.

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Covering

Antique SolarTex was used for the entire model except where aluminum is used.  A 30 foot roll of this covering is available from SR and is more than enough to complete the model and possibly another smaller model.

I strongly suggest that you double cover carbon fiber edges because even two layers don't conceal it completely and it looks strange.  I wrapped covering around the edges to completely cover the carbon fiber tube on the opposite side.

In retrospect, I wish I'd ironed a strip of covering on the carbon fiber first and then overlapped each piece (top and bottom) onto the opposite side to put a triple layer over the tubes.

A tip I received was to paint the carbon fiber tubes white before covering them which would probably work a lot better than three layers of covering.

I started by covering the wings and ailerons.  I covered the aileron bays of the wing panels, then the bottom and finally the top.  The ailerons were covered on the bottoms and then on the tops.

The fuselage was covered on the bottom, sides and then the top.  I extended the SolarTex such that the aluminum would overlap it by 1/8".  The overlap is clearly visible in the aluminum but is not objectionable.

Aluminum was added to the forward fuselage after all the fabric was applied.  All seams face rearward.  With the exception of the hatch which was fiberglassed and the firewall which was coated with epoxy, the areas that would receive aluminum were first painted with a good coat of clear dope.  I didn't know how well the aluminum would adhere to bare wood, but I think it will be fine if you don't want to paint first.

Follow the directions and work slowly when applying the aluminum.  Once it sticks it can't be removed without ruining it.  I suggest that you start with the cheek cowls because you receive enough aluminum that you can mess these up a couple times and still have enough aluminum for everything else.

Painting

I masked the wing panels and fuselage for the white areas and applied one light coat of Klass Kote white epoxy.  The rudder was also painted white.  I did not attempt to make the white totally opaque as it would have been inappropriate compared to the rest of the model which is translucent.  In fact, one coat slightly heavier than a dust coat was plenty.

Next I applied the vinyl decals per the instructions.  Spray Windex lightly on the surface to apply the decal.  Then spend as much time as it takes to fully squeegee the decals.  It is possible to work out every single bubble.

The instructions state to peel off the "leaves" of the Maltese crosses from the backing one at a time and then spray with Windex to prevent them from sticking to each other.  That was a great idea I never would have thought of and it worked very well for me.

In some cases the paper backing came apart and left a thin layer on the decal.  Some time with a sharp tweezer, more windex and rubbing with a wet sponge was irritating, but necessary and any other method of getting the decal to the model would have been far worse.

The moral is to apply enough Windex to prevent sticking, but don't douse the decals while they're on the backing.

It took me approximately 20 minutes to squeegee one Maltese cross on the wings.  The smaller decals on the fuselage and rudder took significantly less time.

After the decals dried for three days, I sprayed a very light coat of satin clear Klass coat around the edges of each decal.  I tested before hand and found that a wet coat would curl up the edge of the decal and ruin it.  A second light coat was applied after the first cured for about five hours.  The next day I sprayed a slightly heavier coat.  This fully sealed the edges of the decals without any damage.

One medium-heavy coat of satin clear was sprayed over all the fabric and painted/decaled areas after masking off the aluminum.  The covering looks much more realistic with a slight sheen that very closely resembles a doped finish.  Use satin hardener — this model should not be glossy!

The clear coat protects the SolarTex from staining and the edges of the decals from lifting when cleaning the model.  Even so, it is a good idea to clean the decals from the middle to the edges and not tempt the decal gods.

All black parts (landing gear, trapeze assembly, tail skid support, etc.) were painted using 80% gray Klass Kote mixed using their white base and satin black with satin hardener.

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Copyright © 2005 Paul K. Johnson