[grosbeak]

I also fibreglassed a few spots.








Next up - working the port wingtip into shape.

[grosbeak]

I was apprehensive about shaping the port wingtip because of the amount of wood that had to be removed. In the end I did almost all of the shaping with a block plane.



It's not completely finished - but so far I'm happy with the results.



I wasn't happy with the sheeting on the upper surface of the port wing, however, so I decided to reinforce it.

[grosbeak]

This was a good time to start filling some gaps. I got some palette knives from Lee Valley Tools...



... and some filler from my LHS.



After that it was a matter of experimenting with the mix...



... and trying it out.

[grosbeak]

I must have shaped the ribs on the starboard wing incorrectly, because the sheeting on the top of the wing was recessed from the original sheeting. At first I figured I could fill it with the Model Lite but an experiment showed it would be way too much filler. So, I went with a different approach.



Once the glue cured, I taped up the surrounding sheeting to protect it. Thanks for the tip, Dave!



After a lot of sanding, the new section of the wing is flush with the old.

[grosbeak]

At long last the woodwork is done. I may have bought a bit too much balsa for this job... no doubt it'll find a use in the future.



Balancing time - it was good to see them joined again. It took about 2.7g (3/32 oz) on the starboard wingtip to balance - not bad considering the extensive reconstruction of the port wing.



I marked the position of the weights on the wingtip and roughed it out with a dremel and router attachment. I cleaned it up and enlarged it with a chisel.



After a test fit, some 30 minute epoxy went into the pocket, followed by the weights.



After the epoxy cures I'll cover the weights with filler.

[grosbeak]

Finishing the weight pocket was quick and easy...



... and the wing balanced afterwards.



I had a quick look at the wings back on the plane.



Time to start the covering. Bench and both wings have been meticulously vacuumed.

[grosbeak]

On to the covering. I'd like to thank RFCafe on YouTube for the video Covering Compound Curved Surface with Monokote.

I started with the bottom surface of the starboard wing. I measured the wing, adding 3" to the length and 1-1/2" inches to the width. I have a 3' steel ruler which was very useful.



I won't go into a lot of detail about the covering except to say that I've never covered a wing or a compound curve before. I made a few mistakes but overall I'm pleased with how it turned out.







I learned a few things along the way so I'm confident that the results will improve as I continue. Incidentally, the base covering is white but I'll be adding some sort of custom scheme that will clearly differentiate the top and bottom surfaces.

[grosbeak]

As hoped, the top surface went a lot better.



The bottom surface of the port wing went just as well. It was slightly more complicated because it needed a cutout for the servo tray.

[Daren71]

John, I've been following your repair. Looks great, very clear, and concise.

Look up the windex method of applying monocote. When you are doing a pattern, or design in monocote, over monocote, you can use windex to apply it.

It doesn't look too hard, but I'm sure the results are better than an iron. In the giant scale forum here, look up Trevor Brums 58% Pitts build. He used the windex on it, and the airplane is a show stopper.

Keep up the pictorial.

Take care, Daren

[grosbeak]

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