Gonna build a Skua

[atmosteve]

Ken in retrospect I didnt apply enough goop to the whole nose area, I could probably have used another layer of tape over the whole nose area too. I think I just gave the nose one coat and all the LE and tips a pre-spackle coat too, then a post taping coating.

Oh well, will just mark it down as a foamie build live and learn experience. When i get the time it will be off with the nose profilm and a goop/tape toughen up given to it inside and out, especially between the ballast and battery pack.
No need to graft a new nose just yet! But yes I would do that to if needed 'cause as you wrote its a really fun plane.
Cheers for that, I gotta get more liberal with the goop in future.

[thevon]

Ken I agree, since doing the gooping/ taping/ gooping/ profilming, I've had the same wonderful experience with ironing out wrinkles! On both the Bat and the Reaper, you can't see all the terrible wounds they've had! With quite major deep wrinkles I've pushed the edge/ corner of the iron back and forth along the wrinkle till you can see the colour change, do a bit more, then put the iron flat over the area and work back and forth. The wrinkle area actually bubbles and rises a bit higher than before then seems to settle down flat. It really is quite magic! With previous non gooped builds, the wings would be trash by now.

Also with the nose etc I agree, it makes them so much more durable. When I've had them crack up all around the nose and battery bays etc, I've opened it all up, and pushed Shoe-Goo all thru it. If there are gaps I dice up some old EPP into about 2mm cubes and work the goo into it and push it in like bog. You can put weights or tape to mold the nose to shape while it sets. The final result is much tougher than the old nose.

In future builds, in areas like noses, or where an EPP fuse attaches to a wing, I'm going to slice up the EPP and push Goop into it, to make a stronger rubbery matrix.