In a ‘positive’ paint job some effects can
never be done. Just think about the
shadows, peel backs, highlights, and
3D effects - and all with a perfectly flat
and uniform surface for optimum airflow
and aerodynamics.
Truly hard to do, but still possible, are
the paint jobs which seem to be so sim-
ple at first glance: Schemes with
straight lines and stripes. Quite easy
with positive painting, but it’s very hard
masking the lines in the negative
moulds, because we cannot assemble
the parts before masking. To get the
stripes lining up exactly at the rudder,
wing and cowling joints is therefore
almost impossible. This is why we sug-
gest using thin vinyl trim to make sure
that these stripes line up perfectly.
Sometimes it is necessary to do that,
and it is definitely not a quality problem
or a "flaw". It comes back to what is
possible, and what is impossible.
If you want to have a really
perfect paint job, then you
might decide to have a sin-
gle colour version and have
it painted by yourself or
your friend.
But don’t forget: Consider
the additional cost, consid-
er the additional weight,
consider that even if it is
painted ‘positive’ there will
be areas you won’t be
happy with.
Of course you won’t com-
plain, because you created
these flaws yourself… !
Composite-ARF SuperXtra 330L
(3.1m span)
9
(above) The complex paintwork is completed in the
moulds by our skilled staff, to produce such stunning
schemes as this, all with a perfectly flat surface.
(below) This is the FiberClassics (now ‘Composite-
ARF’) force at the TOC 2000, with all models painted
in the moulds.
