SIG CAP 231EX, Assembly Manual, Page: 21 / 26

their sheets with a sharp #11 blade or good pair of scissors. Note
that every decal on all three sheets is numbered. These numbers
correspond to the CAP 231EX 3-view line drawing on the last page
of this manual, providing you with their placement locations - Note:
The 3-view drawing provided is NOT scale and should not be used
for documentation. Use this drawing, as well as the box art, to
locate your decals accurately.
Since these decals are large and because the adhesive is very
aggressive, it is important that you use the proper technique
in applying them to your model.
DO NOT deviate from this
procedure. Doing so may ruin the decals. Following this
procedure will allow you to easily place the decals in their proper
locations and permanently adhere them to the model. Once in
place, these decals stand up well to day-to-day flying use and are
resistant to fuel exhaust. With reasonable care, they will look good
for a very long time.
You will need a good glass cleaner, such as Windex®, a supple
squeegee (the SIG 4" Epoxy Spreader, #SIGSH678 is perfect for
this job), clean, soft cloths (old tee shirts are great), a good straight
edge, a ruler and a hobby knife with sharp #11 blades.
For
application of the larger decals, such as the wing, fuselage, stab,
etc., we suggest that you also have some trim tape handy for
temporary guidelines - 1/8" width or so is perfect.
Begin with the wings. Use a flat, clean work surface to cut out the
two wing decals, #1. Cut the decals as closely to the graphic as
possible, using a straight edge for the long cuts. With the decals
ready, use a long length of striping tape to locate the top edge of
the decals on the wing. Do this by stretching the tape from one
wingtip to the other. With the tape aligned and lightly pressed in
place, the decals can now be applied. Carefully peel and remove
the decal from its sheet, suspending it in the air with your fingers.
Spray Windex® on the adhesive side of the decal and then onto
the wing, where the decal will be applied. Apply enough Windex®
to create a true film on the wing surface.
Place the decal
carefully onto the wing - do not press. Slide the decal accurately
in place, lightly smoothing any wrinkles with your fingertips. Once
the decal is in position, use the squeegee to begin lightly pressing
the decal in place, while holding it to the wing with your fingers.
Take your time and use progressively heavier pressure to remove
the Windex® from beneath the decal. As the Windex® is forced
out from beneath the decal, the adhesive will take hold and make
the decal difficult to move. Carefully continue using the squeegee,
removing any bubbles and making sure the decal edges are
firmly in place. Remove the guideline striping tape from this half
of the wing.
Use a soft clean cloth to gently wipe away any
remaining liquid from the wing panel - always wipe away from
decal edges, never into them.
Repeat this process with the
remaining wing decal. This is the basic procedure for applying all
of the remaining decals to the model.
The fuselage sides, including the cowl, also require the use of
striping tape to align the top edges of the decals accurately, as well
as to align them correctly from one side to the other. To do this,
take a careful look at the 3-view drawing and the photographs of
the actual model. These will help you understand where the decals
are to be placed. When placing the striping tape guide on the
fuselage, have the cowl in place and the rudder taped to
neutral. Once the striping tape is placed along the entire length of
the fuselage, rudder and cowl, carefully cut the tape at the rear
edge of the cowl and remove the cowl. The checkers will be
applied to the cowl, off the fuselage but you will already have the
guideline accurately in place. We also found it easiest to apply the
rear checkers (#6 and #18) to both the fuselage and rudder in one
piece, using the squeegee to set them in place. Then use a #11
blade to cut and trim them at the hinge line.
Applying the decals to the cowl is not difficult. Start with the top
run of checkers - #22 (left side) and #15 (right side). These are
placed on the cowl to match the fuselage checker, along the tape
guide to the front.
Use the squeegee to rub them in place,
wrapping the rear edge around and into the inside of the cowl.
Next, apply the bottom cowl checkers, #23 (left side) and #16 (right
side) in the same manner, aligning their rear edges with the
corresponding checker on the fuselage. Note that when viewed
from the side, this bottom course of checkers is parallel with the
top course. Use the squeegee to rub the checkers in place. Next
use the #11 blade to carefully cut out the clear portion of these
cowl checkers, using the knife to lift an edge, peeling them away
from the cowl. This leaves only the dark checks accurately in
place. Finally, apply the center checkers, #CL-1, 2, 3, and 4 (left
side) and #CR-1, 2, 3, and 4 (right side).
These are applied
individually, with their corners aligned with the top and bottom
checkers.
Despite the small compound curves, these center
checkers will lay flat nicely when applied with the squeegee.
When all decals are in place, use a soft cloth to carefully wipe them
dry, as well as the rest of the model. Carefully check all decal
edges and corners, using the squeegee to burnish them firmly in
place. Leave the model alone and avoid handling for a few hours.
This allows the decal adhesive to set and any residual liquid to
evaporate. Although usually not necessary, decal edges can be
further protected by applying clear epoxy paint with a small brush,
to seal them. For perspective, our prototypes have been flown
extensively and used at tradeshows and the decals still look great!
ESTABLISHING BALANCE
In terms of success, this is probably the single most important step
in preparing your CAP for flight.
The final placement of the
longitudinal Center of Gravity for this model is extremely important
and should be approached with patience and care.
Completely assemble the model, including propeller, spinner, etc.
DO NOT fill the fuel tank for balancing purposes. Once the model
is assembled, as it would be for flight, you need to find where it
balances in this unadjusted condition. This is easiest to do by
turning the fully assembled model upside down and using a
balancing fixture. We make our own balancing fixtures with a
couple of 1/4" dia. dowels glued into a fairly substantial wood base,
at perpendicular 90° angles. The dowels need to be the same
length and tall enough to accommodate the height of the
assembled CAP, as well as the width of the fuselage, plus about
1/4" to 1/2" additional width. The tops of the dowels need to be
padded to avoid damage to the wing. We used 1/8" thick rubber
sheet, cut to 1/4" diameter, glued in place, for the padding. There
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