RC Cap 21

This is a project that I've been working on for about two years and I've just finished it.  It’s a 1/6 scale RC Mudry Cap 21. I got the plans out of a RCM&E magazine August 2007 edition. Credit to Peter Miller who designed this model, it’s a very nice plane and it was a good set of plans.  

Pete mate, I did make one small change to your plans, I enlisted snoopy as the pilot.

Some of the more observant amongst you may have noticed that the black lining around the canopy is in fact duct tape and that it creases around the curve. Don't worry, that's just because I didn't have any black paint, as soon as I do then I'll do a proper job on it. Also there is no stepping pad on the wing next to the cockpit and this too is because I didn't have the right materials at hand but I'll get round to it sooner or later.   

The first job was to cut out all the formers of which there are a lot and each one is different, and they're all pretty tricky.  

After a lot of work I finally managed to get one wing done. 

After a lot more work I got the other side done along with the ailerons, servo, bellcrank and former strips.     

The beginnings of the fuselage.

The fuselage is actually not far from being done here, it's mostly the engine cowl that needs work. Work that I put off for a long time because I really wasn't looking  forward to it. 

Engine now in with a brand new prop and spinner. 

From this point onward I forgot to take any more pictures until all of the white covering was on. 

I think it looks good. The cowl is completely finished now and I pushed the boat out with some brand new undercarriage and wheel pants. 

This plane is a replica of one specific Cap 21 so the colour scheme and the registration are the same as the real F-GAUK however the real F-GAUK didn't have wheel pants but some other 21's did and I think they look nice. 

There are a couple of things on this plane that I am particularly proud of, namely the canopy and the "TOTAL" decals because I made both of them myself. I made the canopy by first making a mold of the shape of the canopy in plaster but in hindsight wood would have been better and then I got a large soft-drink bottle, cut it up and stretched it over the mold while heating it with a head gun. The plastic contracts in heat and forms very nicely around the mold. To make the decals I got the logo off the internet, printed it out to the right size and then painted each side several times with clear enamel paint, this I hope should protect the paper inside. To apply them I simply smeared epoxy on the back and stuck it on, simple as that. It will be interesting to see if my little invention withstands the test of time.         

This is a beautiful plane I really enjoyed making it, mostly, but I'm so glad it's finished now. It looks absolutely stunning, the dogs kahooners!