How To: Easy Warbird Makeover

How To: Easy Warbird Makeover

The Carbon-Z T-28 Trojan gets a new look

As a subject, the T-28 has clearly been a sleeper over the years, with only a small number of kits being available. Well, the lightning bolt must have hit a large number of people at the same time as the market now has Trojans in all sizes—from micro to ginormous! Why? Because in nearly any size, the subject works and flies well. New techniques in foam material and fabrication have provided us with some fabulous flying models that go together quickly and have us in the air in virtually no time. About the only downside is that they all come out of the box looking exactly like the next one. A particular model, if popular enough, sometimes can make it difficult to pick yours out on the flightline because everybody has one!

Changing the Look
The process I used for this project is very easy and inexpensive, and produces attention-getting results in a fairly short period of time. The changes in final appearance are dramatic. The first step in the process is simply to remove all the factory-applied markings. In the case of the T-28, these are stick-on Mylar, which adhere tenaciously and will remove most of the painted area underneath the marking when peeled away.
It also disrupts the smooth surface of the unpainted foam. Apparently the molding process of some newer-generation foams creates a very smooth surface, which eliminates the “alligator skin” look. Unfortunately, that smooth surface to which the markings are adhered will be taken away when you remove them, leaving a textured surface noticeably different from the surrounding area.
Because the red painted areas of my T-28 were going to be difficult to cover with any kind of paint, I decided to prime the areas with a white latex primer brushed on with a foam-pad brush. To eliminate the “textured” areas created by the marking removal, I also covered those areas with the primer. Another coat or two to get a uniform white color to the surface and a light pass with
600-grit sandpaper to level things out and I was ready for color coats.

Read the article from the November 2016 issue of Electric Flight, Click here
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Updated: May 2, 2017 — 10:15 AM
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