Primer/Filler was sprayed and most all of it sanded off.
I wanted to paint the model with fluorescent paint, but you have to use a white undercoat with fluorescents.
The trouble is - fluorescent paints are flat and the surface is rough. This flat finish adds surface drag.
TIP: You can shine up a flat finish with polishing compound. After you polish, additional gloss is obtained with a soft cloth and lots of elbow grease. This is not a full gloss finish, but a decent semi-gloss shine.
TIP: Putting a gloss clear coat on a fluorescent finish will diminish some of the "glow". A fluorescent will end up looking closer to a normal orange paint. Still a glowing color, but not as effective.
The small 8" parachute is partially packed inside the red coupler.
It's fine and will be pulled out at ejection.
My model weighed in at .45 oz.
On the Apogee website their finished model weight is .54 oz.
Maybe the thinner, airfoiled fins and omitting the engine block helped out!
Would Future floor polish work? I know you've used it in the past to give a nice glossy finish to your builds.
ReplyDeleteHi BAR,
DeleteFuture floor polish would be about the same as an acrylic clear coat. You would lose some of the fluorescent paint "glow". That's why I preferred to hand rub the flat finish. I wasn't going for a gloss, I just knocked down some of the dullness and hopefully will result in less drag.