How to Fiberglass a Model Airplane
Applying a fiberglass skin to a model airplane can create a lightweight, durable, fuel-resistant covering for your aircraft. A fiberglass skin provides a smooth finish, without the grain that comes with a wood covering. You can also easily painted fiberglass with any color scheme imaginable, unlike other coverings that resist most paints, limiting you to the color of the coverings themselves. You can't use fiberglass covering over open bay aircraft constructions. You can only apply fiberglass over solid areas, such as those formed from balsa sheeting. With proper maintenance, a painted fiberglass finish can last for years, retaining the same new look as when it was first painted.
Instructions
1. Sand your aircraft parts, removing any roughness to the surface with a fine grain sandpaper and creating a smooth, even finish to the wood. Use a bench brush to remove any wood dust from the airplane and then go over the surface a final time with a tack rag (a cloth impregnated with wax) to remove all traces of residue left over from the sanding.
2. Cut the fiberglass cloth using the rotary cutter, an instrument that has a sharp round blade on the end of a handle. Cut the cloth into strips slightly longer than the part you will cover. You will need to use multiple strips on each part to ensure that you cover the plane without wrinkles in the finish.
3. Mix the resin according to the manufacturer's instructions. The resin will adhere the cloth to the body of the airplane, so mix only a small amount at a time. Allow the resin to sit for three minutes.
4. Place the aircraft part onto a flat surface, and then cover it with the fiberglass cloth. Place the cloth so that it overhangs the sides of the part slightly.
5. Pour the resin over the cloth. Place enough resin onto the cloth so that you can spread it in a thin even layer across the surface of the part. Spread the resin over the cloth using the craft sticks. Be careful not to move the cloth around while spreading the resin. Work from the center of the part to the edges, spreading out the wrinkles as they occur. Apply slightly more resin for the ends of airplane pieces as the cloth has a tendency to lift.
6. Go over the cloth after applying the resin with a squeegee to soak up excess resin on the cloth. Removing the excess creates an even finish and helps to keep the weight of the plane down. Allow the resin to cure for about 30 minutes.
7. Trim away any excess cloth and then sand the edges of the cloth down to the surface of the wood before adding additional rows of the fiberglass cloth. Continue the adhering process until you have covered the entire part. Wait 24 hours for the resin to cure fully.
8. Use the sandpaper to feather all the seams of the cloth until the seams are level, and then lightly sand the entire surface of the covering to remove any rough particles on the finish such as glass strings from the fiberglass and dust. Once finished you can prime and paint the model as you desire.
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