Ye Olde Rocket Forum - View Single Post - "Painting" Boost Gliders

Quote:

Originally Posted by K'Tesh

I've read that painting a Boost Glider is "bad". That it has a very bad effect on the glider's performance.

I've now got a Semroc Nighthawk, and Hawk, and I'd like to give them a nice finish, but I'm scared as to how to get them to look and perform well.

I'm not trying to win (or even enter) any kind of competition, but I don't want to build something that won't fly just because I added some color to the thing. Nor do I want it to look like some unfinished POS that I just slapped together.

I've experimented with RIT Dye dissolved in 90+% alcohol, but the color is underwhelming to say the least... RIT's Scarlet looks more like a purplish red wine stain than anything that is "Red".

Any help here would be appreciated.

Thanks!
Jim
.

Hi Jim, If you want your glider to look good I would paint it with dope. you can mix some of the colored dope with the dope type sealer and then sand it real smooth. this will fill the Balsa and add color at the same time. them use colored dope to complete the finish.
after the finish is fully dry , I would wax and buff-out to make the surface as slippery
as possible. the least amount of dope you use= better flight.
Sharpie markers look just OK at best without sealing. they are the finish of choice for competition but they do leave the model with a very spartan finish.
here is a picture of a couple of contest gliders we flew a the last BARS monthly launch.

Picture: Two fine gliders both of the Stine Design.