ALUMINUM SPINNER & GEAR POLISH

For a great shine that won’t be bothered by fingerprints, try a polishing paste called “SIMICHROME POLISH”. Happich manufactures it in Germany, and it can be purchased at most motorcycle shops.
This aluminum polish comes in a small (and pricey) yellow tube, but goes a long way. Great for your spinners as well as landing gear. Use a soft rag, then wash in soapy water and dry.

MODEL CLEANING AT THE FIELD

I’ve tried everything that came along, including a lot of home brew mixtures to clean up my models after a day of flying. Nothing really seemed to work. Then I discovered “‘SIMPLE GREEN” – an all around general purpose spray cleaner available at Home Depot and most large grocery chains.
Dilute it with water according to the directions; 10-to-1 for our purpose. Spray it on and use those soft, non-scratchy, blue “Shop Towels on a Roll” manufactured by Scott. Also from Home Depot.

SLIPPING PROPS & BACKPLATES

     I’ve noticed at the field that some of the guys have problems throwing props. It appears to happen more often when they use a combination of a wood or nylon prop with a plastic spinner whose backplate doesn’t have the ‘bite’ that the better spinners such as Tru-Turn have.
     I personally don’t use this technique, preferring to pin my props if necessary, but for the smaller engines, this will work.
     Lightly fold and glue a small piece of sandpaper back-to-back. Some old used 120 to 280 grit will do. Cut a hole for the engine shaft and then trim to about an inch in diameter. Make several while you’re at it and store in your field box. If a prop keeps coming loose, insert the disc between the backplate and the prop and really tighten the prop nut. You might also have to insert one between the backplate and the drive washer if it’s not properly knurled.

FUEL DROP SPOTS IN YOUR CAR

     We all have seen it – those tell-tale spots that came from our engines or mufflers dripping fuel or perhaps after-run oil (I hope it was Marvel Air Tool Oil J) on the way back home from a day’s flying.
     First off, I ran across an assortment of hydraulic line caps and plugs used in and around aircraft repair stations. They’re red and come in all sizes. You can usually find one that fits your muffler exhaust and your carb inlet if it’s exposed.
     If I can’t find a plug size to fit, I wad up a small piece of paper towel and stuff it loosely in the exhaust pipe. I also twist a very small piece of towel and insert it partially into the breather tube from our four-stroke engines.
     Now, for the pièce de résistance, I use one of those large size “BAGGIES” to cover the prop, engine, and muffler; pull it over the fuselage and secure with a rubber band. This works for all sizes up to our 1.20’s with the prop tip sticking through the bag.

DECAL & STICKER REMOVAL

Have you ever driven yourself nuts trying to get a price sticker off something you purchased? Ever try to remove an old vinyl or paper decal off your model? A neat product called “GOO-GONE” really works well, and being citrus based, smells good at the same time J
Have patience as you work; allow it to penetrate under the vinyl or through the paper. Once again, it’s available from Home Depot.

POLISHING MONOKOTE & EPOXY SURFACES

          I think I have the found the easiest way to really polish up those MonoKote surfaces so that they are truly streak-free. This also works well on painted surfaces.
          A new product on the market from S. C. Johnson & Son is a new “Pledge” spray can, this one comes in a blue can and is called “WOOD AND GLASS FURNITURE CLEANER”.
           Use it after your residue field goo has been wiped off, polishing with a soft rag. This stuff is really streak-free!

MODEL CLEANING AT THE FIELD

I’ve tried everything that came along, including a lot of home brew mixtures to clean up my models after a day of flying. Nothing really seemed to work. Then I discovered “‘SIMPLE GREEN” – an all around general purpose spray cleaner available at Home Depot and most large grocery chains.
Dilute it with water according to the directions; 10-to-1 for our purpose. Spray it on and use those soft, non-scratchy, blue “Shop Towels on a Roll” manufactured by Scott. Also from Home Depot.

TOUCH UP PAINT SPRAYER

So many times we need to spray paint only a part of our models, such as a cowling or wheel pants, but the colors we need or the type paint we want to use are not available in a spray can. Yet, we find it a major task to drag out the big compressor and the spray gun. There is a simple, inexpensive, and effective solution: Use the “Preval” Spray gun. It is a small aerosol powered spray gun attached to a 6 ounce glass jar. The spray gun unit is sold as Preval part #267 and costs about $7; replacement power units, part #268, cost about $3. You can find these at auto paint and body supply stores. “Let your fingers do the walking.”(http://www.prevalspraygun.com/)

Simply mix your paint in the supplied jar and spray as you would using a can. When done, insert the pick up nozzle in some solvent and spray clean.

While you’re at the auto paint supply place, do yourself a favor and get some 3M sandpaper and some 3M Fine-Line tape.

SERVO MOUNTING SCREWS

The greatest thing since peanut butter? Well, not quite, but these new servo mounting screws sure make your life easier!

Why? They are #2 x 9/16” Socket Head Washer Screws! That's right, socket head with integral washers. You can use your ball drivers.

Available from “Micro Fasteners” http://microfasteners.com

PRE-HINGING

To each his own, but this works for me! I prefer to install my hinges during assembly, but I don’t glue them.

I make my hinge slots where appropriate, insert the hinges, and, if necessary (such as when using quarter-scale pinned hinges) tack glue 1/16th or 1/20th balsa spacers.

Now go ahead and build your wing or tail feathers, including the sheeting. Do all your sanding, and then finally carefully cut along your hinge line and take the parts apart. Oh yes, hopefully you marked the location of the hinges and the hinge line on your plans as you went along so that you know where to cut!

The last step is to do any necessary beveling before you cover. After covering, slice open the slots and epoxy your hinges as always knowing the flying surfaces will be in perfect alignment with the control surfaces.

ATTACHING TAIL BRACE WIRES

No need for you to insert hardwood or ply inserts in your stabs or fins for brace wire attachment points.

During construction, in a convenient location of hard balsa, drill a 1/8” hole, then insert and CA a piece of 1/8” o.d. aluminum tubing. The tubing is easily sanded flush to the surface.

When ready, attach the brace wire fittings using a 2-56 bolt which fits the tube perfectly. If your stab or fin is thicker than 3/4”, use 2-56 threaded rod cut to size with a nut on both ends.

Be sure to use Loctite!

FUEL FOAMING

Please don’t use “Armour All” as an additive to your fuel in an effort to reduce foaming!

Noted engine guru C. F. Lee in an 11/99 article in R C Modeler repeats his warning that “-- Armour All contains silicone which will eventually form a glass coating on the glow plug element-– first showing up as idle/acceleration problems.” He also points out that most modern fuels already contain anti-foaming agents.

As for me, I always use 1/2” thick latex foam all around my tanks- - including the front.

BALLAST BOX

Quite often when we hang a big gas-burner on our favorite model, it comes out nose heavy. Most likely, we didn’t check the C.G before covering, so now we’re faced with cutting a hole back near the tail for the addition of ballast.

Why not plan ahead? During construction, build a small ballast box as far aft as we can; use 3/32” balsa sheet for the top, ends, and sides. Frame it on the bottom with 1/4” square balsa. Now cover the fuselage a usual.

If ballast is needed, simple cut the MonoKote open, epoxy the lead in place, and recover the small access hole.

	The Care & Feeding Of Four Stroke Model Aircraft Engines
	Aluminum Spinner & Gear Polish
	Basic Airmanship
	Model Cleaning At The Field
	MonoKote Over SuperCoverite Covering Technique
	Advanced Airmanship
	The Famous "C.A.T." Check
	Polishing MonoKote & Epoxy Surfaces
	Building Board
	Great Landings!
	Lead Shot Weight Bags
	MonoKote Secret
	Decal & Sticker Removal
	Optional Maneuvers
	Fuel Drop Spots In Your Car
	Last Resort
	Slipping Props & Backplates
	Competition Advice
	Good Landings
	Crash Timing
	Using the Preval System
	Servo Mounting Screws
	Building v. Rebuilding
	Concerning $$$
	Pre-Hinging
	Red's TTML
	Tail Brace Wires
	Fuel Foaming
	Almost Done
	Conversions (453KB)
	Ballast Box
	Salt Shaker
	Engine Corrosion
	Hard points
	Weighing Models
	Aluminum Finishes
	It Won't Last
	Roly Kit
	VoltWatch
	4 v. 5 Cell Battery Packs
	Rules Of Flying
	Fiberglassing Techniques
	Dremel Cutoff Wheels
	Servo Arms
	White Glue
	Super Tigre Carburetor
	Small 'Glass Parts
	Ni-Cads v. Duralites
	Silk & Dope
	Using Silicone
	Parallel Battery Packs
	XTAL Math