A demonstration is presented showing a Sopwith Camel biplane, built from a Manzano Laser Works kit, being covered using silkspan and dope. This is a series of 10-minute videos that introduces some basic concepts, materials, and methods of successfully applying a silkspan and dope finish to an open-frame model airplane. Tools of the trade are introduced, followed by a discussion of dope and covering types, methods for determining silkspan grain and cutting out panels, and then preparing the wood surfaces and actually attaching the silkspan are reviewed. Wetting and application of the silkspan is shown, as is trimming and joint overlapping. Finally full coats of clear nitrate dope (thinned 50%) are brushed over the entire open bay and solid wood surfaces in preparation for the base color coat and final trim colors done in butyrate dope. This is the method I have used with success for a few decades. It has never won me any outstanding finish awards, but the results are good enough for discriminating modelers. Presented by Kirt Blattenberger of the AirplanesAndRockets.com website. Thanks for watching.
