Applying Flight Skinz Foil
First, let me describe what Flight Skinz is, Flight Skinz is a .0012 inch thick Aluminum foil with an aggressive acrylic adhesive. Flight Skinz is the thinnest foil covering on the market. We carry the foil in 6" and 12" wide rolls.
Flight Skinz requires a solid surface to adhere to, such as a fiberglass fuselage or build up surfaces that have been glassed in a traditional way.
As is the way with building and covering model aircraft, there is always more than one way to accomplish a task. The methods described are one way I have found that will produce excellent results with no wrinkles or bubbles using large pieces of foil. For small sections (hatches, inspection covers) I apply the foil dry.
Mark all the panel lines with a pencil or marker. Take masking tape and outline the panel you will start with.
Cut the foil a little larger than the panel.
Spray a little Windex on the surface, just a light mist. (Wet but not soaked)
Peel the backing off about 3 or so inches and lay it down.
Holding it down in its general location, peel the rest of the backing paper off.
Spray a light mist on the top surface to create a lubricant or slippery surface.
Start in the center and work it to the edges pushing as much Windex and bubbles out.
Work it all the way to the tape.
You will notice at this point the edges will not lie down. Not to worry. As soon as the Windex dries it will stick.
Now just be careful and not rub the edges back against themselves because the edges will lift.
Another thing I found useful is too take a paper towel and fold it multiple times until you have a 3x3 or so square. Spray a little Windex on the top surface and using the paper towel, start in the center and squeegee as much liquid as possible to the edges.
The masking tape you laid down to mark the panel now serves another purpose. Using a flexible ruler I cut the foil at the edge of the tape and remove the tape.
Now move on to another panel that is not touching the panel you just installed. Reason being you can't put masking tape on the foil until it's completely dry.
Wing tips
Once you have the foil laid down, start working the edges of the wing tip in very small sections. Pulling gently as you work the edge over. Remember go slow and work in small areas. What you are doing is stretching the foil to conform to the wing tip. As before the edges will not stick until the Windex dries. But the foil has been stretched into position.
Tools
One that I have found that works best on large flat surfaces is an old credit card. Take sticky Velcro and use the fuzzy half to cover one edge, top and bottom. Go just past the edges so that no sharp edges are showing.
Another set of tools I use are listed below.
http://www.bigceramicstore.com/Supplies/Kempertools/kemper_t ools.htm
Here are the item numbers and Kemper part number.
TLKE FRSO Kemper rubber rib, large soft, FRSO
TLKE FRSS Kemper rubber rib, small soft, FRSS
TLKE WT15 Kemper wood modeling tool, WT15
TLKE WT22 Kemper wood modeling tool, WT22
TLKE WT3 Kemper wood modeling tool, Wt3
In the above photo the green/white tool was obtained from Pro-Mark Graphics.
Painting the foil
Sure you can. Scuff lightly with 000 steel wool. Clean with alcohol and paint. Spray light misting coats. Reason being, no paints soaks into the surface.
Weathering
Several methods can be used. Scraping with a hobby knife, wet sanding with 400 to 600 sandpaper, or steel wool all work well. By scraping or sanding down to the foil it will look like paint has been blasted off or chipped.
That's about it. Now stand back and admire your work.
Wayne Fussell, President
Solo Propellers & RC Products.