Scale 25% Krier Kraft build, a tribute to grampa.
- Thread starter Bipeguy03
- Start date
Bipeguy03
150cc
Once I glue the instrument panel in the cockpit will be done. I think I've decided to go ahead and make the canopy and then mask it up when its time to shoot the clear. So I'll probably start that tomorrow night 
I broke out the testors model paint and painted the pilot. I cut some small slots in the goggles to feed a rubber band through to make a strap. Then put them on the pilot's head and made some belt loops out of small pieces of medical cloth tape.
I made the seat back out of a piece of 1/2" balsa sheet and a 3/8" sheet for the back. I put 5 coats of dope on it to seal it up and painted it semi gloss black. I then made the canopy gluing strip around the headrest from 1/8" sheet and put 5 coats of dope to seal it and painted it orange.
Once the canopy is made, I'll get decals ordered/made and then get it cleared.
I broke out the testors model paint and painted the pilot. I cut some small slots in the goggles to feed a rubber band through to make a strap. Then put them on the pilot's head and made some belt loops out of small pieces of medical cloth tape.
I made the seat back out of a piece of 1/2" balsa sheet and a 3/8" sheet for the back. I put 5 coats of dope on it to seal it up and painted it semi gloss black. I then made the canopy gluing strip around the headrest from 1/8" sheet and put 5 coats of dope to seal it and painted it orange.
Once the canopy is made, I'll get decals ordered/made and then get it cleared.
Jetpainter
640cc Uber Pimp
He's a handsome devil.
Bipeguy03
150cc
The canopy is slowly starting to take shape. It's quite nerve racking though, and is a bit slow going but its getting there.
Once I have all the pieces made, I'll glue it all together with Formula 560 canopy glue (Zap's version of RC-56). And then make the frame out of striping tape.
Once I have all the pieces made, I'll glue it all together with Formula 560 canopy glue (Zap's version of RC-56). And then make the frame out of striping tape.
Bipeguy03
150cc
After a week of getting my @$$ kicked by the canopy I think I finally got it licked, and I have even more respect for grampa. I had a reference to look at, his airplane, he pulled the idea for the canopy out of his head!
The trouble started with the windshield, I couldn't get flat stock to curve to the shape it needed to be without using screws to hold it. After an hour or so of me whining, and complaining dad came in and brought up that he thinks grampa used the back half of the sig canopy to make his windshield. By turning it vertical and using the top of the bubble as the front of the windshield I got it made.
Zap Formula 560 and a small paint brush is what I used to glue the canopy parts to the fuse.
Gluing on the windshield, the curve from the top of the bubble was actually a little too acute. This came back to haunt me later. By pulling the sides out to meet the correct spot of the sides of the fuse, the sides of the windshield pulled in and wouldn't match the front of the canopy. This basically made scoops on either side of the top of the windshield.
After another 2 hour cussing session I came to the conclusion that I couldn't mess it up any worse, so I broke out the Monokote heat gun and managed to heat form the canopy and windshield enough to meet. I then tack glued them together with CA of all things!! For some reason Medium Zap CA didn't seem to cloud the Sig canopy.
After that, I set about making the side windows. Here was the next headache. I got .030 clear stock so that the side windows wouldn't be punky, and so they would keep a constant curve over the distance between the 2 bulkheads... The problem is the canopy didn't... Also, once again there was no way to hold the windows around the curve as they wanted to spring back.... SOOO out cam the heat gun again to form it. After a hole day of fighting I managed to get it all glued together.
Next issue was trying to copy grampa. He used pinstripe tape to seal the windows and canopy together as well as the canopy to the windshield. The idea was it would be easy to take apart if need be. Well, you can't buy pinstripe tape anymore that is as sticky as the stuff available in the 80's.
My fix was to make a frame out of my absolute favorite stuff in the world, Epoxy and Micro.
I used fine line masking tape and taped up the perimeter of the frame. I then mixed up 15 min epoxy and micro and slathered it on over the exposed frame. I used a credit card blank and my finger wetted with rubbing alcohol to smooth out and form the epoxy/micro.
I waited until the epoxy started to fire off, and pulled the tape off before it completely cured. Then I let it sit overnight to fully cure. Once it had cured I masked it back up and lightly sanded it with 320 to make it even and take out any irregularities. Then once again, pulled the tape off, re-masked it with new fine line tape and painted the frame black.
AND WAHLA!
The only real draw back is in my haste, I didn't paint the frame on the canopy before I put the epoxy/micro frame on. This resulted in the inside of the canopy frame being white. It did kind of turn grey after I painted the outside, and this is not something that I can't live with. After almost a week of work trying to get this thing done, I'm not taking it apart for that!! lol
Hard to believe it started as a 16" long generic Sig bubble canopy!
The trouble started with the windshield, I couldn't get flat stock to curve to the shape it needed to be without using screws to hold it. After an hour or so of me whining, and complaining dad came in and brought up that he thinks grampa used the back half of the sig canopy to make his windshield. By turning it vertical and using the top of the bubble as the front of the windshield I got it made.
Zap Formula 560 and a small paint brush is what I used to glue the canopy parts to the fuse.
Gluing on the windshield, the curve from the top of the bubble was actually a little too acute. This came back to haunt me later. By pulling the sides out to meet the correct spot of the sides of the fuse, the sides of the windshield pulled in and wouldn't match the front of the canopy. This basically made scoops on either side of the top of the windshield.
After another 2 hour cussing session I came to the conclusion that I couldn't mess it up any worse, so I broke out the Monokote heat gun and managed to heat form the canopy and windshield enough to meet. I then tack glued them together with CA of all things!! For some reason Medium Zap CA didn't seem to cloud the Sig canopy.
After that, I set about making the side windows. Here was the next headache. I got .030 clear stock so that the side windows wouldn't be punky, and so they would keep a constant curve over the distance between the 2 bulkheads... The problem is the canopy didn't... Also, once again there was no way to hold the windows around the curve as they wanted to spring back.... SOOO out cam the heat gun again to form it. After a hole day of fighting I managed to get it all glued together.
Next issue was trying to copy grampa. He used pinstripe tape to seal the windows and canopy together as well as the canopy to the windshield. The idea was it would be easy to take apart if need be. Well, you can't buy pinstripe tape anymore that is as sticky as the stuff available in the 80's.
My fix was to make a frame out of my absolute favorite stuff in the world, Epoxy and Micro.
I used fine line masking tape and taped up the perimeter of the frame. I then mixed up 15 min epoxy and micro and slathered it on over the exposed frame. I used a credit card blank and my finger wetted with rubbing alcohol to smooth out and form the epoxy/micro.
I waited until the epoxy started to fire off, and pulled the tape off before it completely cured. Then I let it sit overnight to fully cure. Once it had cured I masked it back up and lightly sanded it with 320 to make it even and take out any irregularities. Then once again, pulled the tape off, re-masked it with new fine line tape and painted the frame black.
AND WAHLA!
The only real draw back is in my haste, I didn't paint the frame on the canopy before I put the epoxy/micro frame on. This resulted in the inside of the canopy frame being white. It did kind of turn grey after I painted the outside, and this is not something that I can't live with. After almost a week of work trying to get this thing done, I'm not taking it apart for that!! lol
Hard to believe it started as a 16" long generic Sig bubble canopy!
PEEKABOO!!
pawnshopmike
Staff member
Holy smokes bro. You are AMAZING!!!
Jetpainter
640cc Uber Pimp
Beautiful work!
Bipeguy03
150cc
Thanks guys
I was also able to whip up my own version of the shield that goes on the side in between the cabanes using Microsoft Publisher and a lot of patience lol.
I toyed with changing the letters to something other than IMAA since the IMAA is now defunct but I couldn't do it. Grampa truly enjoyed being a part of the IMAA and I did to before it went belly up. So the letters stay.
In keeping with the theme of "I'm making everything on this plane" I decided to give making waterslide decals a try (again the ones on grampa's were waterslide as well). So that will be the next adventure.
Again using publisher I made up a sheet of decals. After the holiday I'll print them on some regular paper to check the size (decal paper is expensive) and once I'm happy I'll set about making them.
I was also able to whip up my own version of the shield that goes on the side in between the cabanes using Microsoft Publisher and a lot of patience lol.
I toyed with changing the letters to something other than IMAA since the IMAA is now defunct but I couldn't do it. Grampa truly enjoyed being a part of the IMAA and I did to before it went belly up. So the letters stay.
In keeping with the theme of "I'm making everything on this plane" I decided to give making waterslide decals a try (again the ones on grampa's were waterslide as well). So that will be the next adventure.
Again using publisher I made up a sheet of decals. After the holiday I'll print them on some regular paper to check the size (decal paper is expensive) and once I'm happy I'll set about making them.