How composite F3A models are made

[@Blueberry954]

The most elegant style of aeromodelling.

[@schnka]

The definition of craftsmanship!! Well done. Thanks for sharing.

[@fredericgarnier9220]

Very impressive, beautiful and serious work !!!!!!

[@alexmcmeekin2658]

How nice to see a proper spray booth, and the operator suited up! Modern paints are far better than they used to be years back, but it's still important to look after your lungs.

[@gertnood]

How are isocyanates and epoxies any less toxic than they were years back? They're not using water based produts here.

[@alexmcmeekin2658]

@@gertnood regarding paint, most modern automotive acrylics are water based now.
Epoxies are massively lower in VOCs than they were. Most lamination does not involve sprayed or aerosol vapours, meaning that properly gloved up no contact with skin should occur.
All the above does not mean that proper health and safety should not be observed. It's just plain good sense to protect yourself.

[@gregorywinklaar6631]

Amazing!!! Congrats Lassi on this work of art and your win in Belgium! Greetings from Aruba!

[@nulas87]

Thank you Greg💪

[@Froobyone]

When high craftsmanship and love combine. A++

[@gandelin73]

Thanks for sharing! Amazing work 👌

[@remicallant8756]

Awesome nice building and finishing , greetings from Remi, Belgium

[@flymachine]

I’ve never seen spraying like that, very interesting - beautiful

[@BenGoodeF3a]

Outstanding work, you make it look so easy! A how-to painting series would be very much appreciated.

[@billjonesnation]

incredible work

[@oscaratencio3247]

Excellent work!

[@arnaudfontaine2340]

Really impressive !

[@alwishy2696]

Quality workmanship

[@patternf3a]

2023 F3A WORLD CHAMPION!

[@RCjunkie]

great work

[@b.w.oostdam8875]

Exquisite!!

[@michaelwhinnery164]

All you need is $200,000 worth of equipment, another $200,000 in materials an industrial warehouse and skilled employes that take pride in thier work.

[@ioannisbatas1614]

Superb !!!

[@Toscanto]

Très beau boulot de stratification
Change du DEPRON ......!!

[@grasuh]

Nice. I have always wondered how these high end models have such absolute mirror finish with all the complex paint/decal patterns underneath. So based on the video, any steps created by the decal are smooth out by multiple clear coats, wet sanding, and then waxing at the end. Correct?

[@SalamaSond]

Excellent. How were the molds produced?

[@stevenunderwood.]

Perfect😊😊😊😊

[@jamesdash1906]

Nice

[@samerset26]

Amazing skills, you're creating pure works of art! Undoubtedly, they're worth every penny ;)
What's the model of orbital sander you're using?

[@nulas87]

Thanks! Sander is Mirka Deros 650

[@samerset26]

@@nulas87 Thanks for the info!

[@user-sq5hg6xg6r]

could you plz share the steps and material used in this including the adhesives

[@qiaa]

perfect work of art!! What's the material about the ribs?

[@nulas87]

Thanks! Ribs are 3mm PVC foam(Airex) and 105g glass on both sides

[@nickanrc]

Amazing peace of art! Congratulations! Can you share a little bit more on layout or is it a secret

[@nulas87]

Thanks! Layout is very simple. One 50g glass cloth outside and one 50g glass cloth inside. Little bit carbon for critical areas like nose, wing saddle and landing gear area

[@nickanrc]

Thank you, that's very thin and light!!! But it works fine😊

[@TheRCAviator]

That "plane" looks like a fish with dragonfly wings. It's not a model of anything that looks like a real airplane. With all that great technology, you should make something that's pleasing to look at..

[@Bigpaoloracing]

Paint in moulds save a lot of time

[@andreyl2705]

awesome🔥 what kind of glue do you use to glue the wing halves together?

[@nulas87]

Thanks! It is just a laminating epoxy with microballons and colloidal silica

[@secularsunshine9036]

*Let the Sunshine In...*

[@g.i.x-faktor4846]

😍❤❤❤

[@kikilo1280]

Hi, i have a question, What is that white glue that you use when you couse the mold?

[@nulas87]

Hi, it is laminating epoxy with microballons and colloidal silica

[@annask025]

Great work! What core material is that?

[@nulas87]

Its Airex/Mycell from R&G

[@annask025]

@@nulas87 Thank you Sir

[@stout890]

do you work for scaled composites?
your peel ply looks familiar

[@nulas87]

No, I dont work for them. Doing my own things here in Finland

[@valdismartinsons1712]

Can you sell to ?

[@yurycz8933]

👍

[@LazerDon271]

5k euros ully painted guys. amazing built quality tho.

[@davefoord1259]

How do you pajnt over mold release wax?

[@nulas87]

There is no anything special. Its normal to put things over release wax, epoxy, polyester, paint or what ever. Its made for that purpose😃

[@davefoord1259]

@@nulas87 wow. When im painting polyurethane paint even a hint of wax = fisheyes everywhere

[@nulas87]

@@davefoord1259 try to wipe all extra release wax away->polishing, try to use silicone free wax, try to spray first only thin mist and after 10min you can spray it more wet

[@johnmajane3731]

Something has gone wrong with our hobby when it costs $4,000+ US to buy a plane to compete with. basically killing the hobby. This model is definitely worth it looking at the effort put into making it but if this is what you need to compete it cuts out most people. Same thing happened with RC sailplanes. You could compete with a $80 Pierce Aero Paragon that you had to build yourself and win. Then the prices started going through the roof as people sought a more competitive plane. Drove me out.

[@nulas87]

Thanks for comment👍🏻 You are right. You can compete with own build model and for sure you can success very well, I have done it since 20 years. Thats the only way to save money. I have seen many people dont want to build things by them selves, so they must pay to someone to do it. For me it takes around 200 hours to build one kit. Material, workshop and other expenses are so high that I dont earn much anything from those almost losing money, but I like planes and building things😃

[@johnmajane3731]

@@nulas87 even the competition kits are very expensive. Miss the old days of balsa, plywood and monokote.

[@shmaknapublar]

Pick a different class to compete in. Very simple if you are on a budget. You can be world champ at many freeflight events for a fraction of what it costs to travel to one. Same with some classes of rc glider competition. The fact that the top classes of soaring got expensive was due to the pursuit of performance. But there have always been more affordable classes to compete in. RES can be won by a homebuilt wooden plane 99% of the time and it's been that way for decades. The fairly new F3-RES rules demand affordable airframes made primarily of wood. If you really have a passion for competition, you will find a way to fulfill it.

[@johnmajane3731]

@@shmaknapublar not that easy. I used to compete in AMA open class. A paragon was competitive, sagita, olly were also competitive along with gentle lady. The people started with the Dodson Camino and it got crazy from there and I dropped out. Contests went from an average of 75 to 20 flyers. Sad.

[@shmaknapublar]

@@johnmajane3731 I guess you skipped over the first sentence. Yes, open class got expensive when the technology started to change. But pilots have always been able to win in RES with home brew wooden aircraft. Unless you are in the national finals and competing against guys who are putting up near perfect scores on days when the conditions are challenging, your old school bird will do just fine.
As for the shrinking number of people involved in competitive rc soaring, that's not due to costs. Anyone who has the desire to compete can easily enter the hobby with used gear, and if good enough to win contests, become sponsored in short order. Every manufacturer out there wants talented people winning with their designs.
If you truly wanted to continue competing, you could have. But it sounds like it was easier for you to embrace reasons not to. I currently fly a 3.8 meter Xplorer that cost me a couple of hundred dollars, less than a good balsa kit is going for, and bought my nearly $1000 radio second hand from a team pilot for much less than half of that. It used to be his backup unit and was very low hours, basically new but field tested. :) You can still compete if you want to.