Easy Warbird Makeover

The Carbon-Z T-28 Trojan gets a New Look.

- Rich Uravitch

As a subject, the T-28 has clearly been a sleeper over the years, with only a small number of kits being available. Well, the lightning bolt must have hit a large number of people at the same time as the market now has Trojans in all sizes— from micro to ginormous! Why? Because in nearly any size, the subject works and flies well. New techniques in foam material and fabrication have provided us with some fabulous flying models that go together quickly and have us in the air in virtually no time. About the only downside is that they all come out of the box looking exactly like the next one. A particular model, if popular enough, sometimes can make it difficult to pick yours out on the flight line because everybody has one!

CHANGING THE LOOK

The process I used for this project is very easy and inexpensive, and produces attention-getting results in a fairly short period of time. The changes in final appearance are dramatic. The first step in the process is simply to remove all the factory-applied markings. In the case of the T-28, these are stick-on Mylar, which adhere tenaciously and will remove most of the painted area underneath the marking when peeled away. It also disrupts the smooth surface of the unpainted foam. Apparently the molding process of some newer-generation foams creates a very smooth surface, which eliminates the “alligator skin” look. Unfortunately, that smooth surface to which the markings are adhered will be taken away when you remove them, leaving a textured surface noticeably different from the surrounding area.