Date posted: July 18, 2009
– Download Customized Helicopter Canopy Painting For Fun and No Profit. as PDF –
I was looking for a way to customize my helicopter a bit. I’d see two or three Blade 400′s together at an indoor range and although it looked neat, it was starting to look a tad redundant. Stock canopies be damned. So I decided to try out some simple canopy painting.
Just the blank slate your inner Picasso is looking for.
Technically, you can paint over your stock canopies, depending on what colors you’re using. I picked up three or four of these from my LHS along with some Testor’s paints. I picked up a few red, black, blue, white, and clear coat spray lacquers, knowing I’d be needing each color eventually.
Now, as I’m not a painter, I should note there are different types of paints out there, from enamel to acrylic to lacquer. Acrylic and Enamel seem to be the hobbyist’s choice for a lot of plastic model building. Flying though? Sure, they can be used. But when I saw the caps of the spray lacquers I was immediately taken by the shine and texture of the color. Done and done, sign me up!
I also picked up some pine car decals while at my local hobby store as well. You’re not going to see the small decals when your bird is flying all around, but you will occasionally hover, plus the canopy won’t always be in motion, so why not add a little extra detail?
So, heading home with my canopies and paint, I waited til something struck me as I knew it would someday. Three ‘strikes’ have hit me thus far.
I picked up all these parts on July 3rd, 2009. Need I say more?
Fourth of July Helicopter Canopy
While I’ve wrapped my Blade CPP2’s tail with a light string, I wanted one canopy with the second connection. For pure night flying along side my LED blades, a black canopy with electrical taped red string:
Black canopy with EL Wire for Night Flying
When I was growing up, I was, as most kids, into comic books. One book in particular. Spider-man. After painting the last two canopies, I wanted to personally kick it up a notch.
Taped up Spidey Canopy… Almost ready.
Final shot of Spidey-Canopy
Now with radioactive blood, bub!
So, if you’re looking for a way to spice up your helicopter, try some paint and make it your own.
Tags: canopies, helis, painting
2 Comments
William
06/07/2011
Hi Eric,
I’ll bet you are a jack of all trades because you continue to surprise me. You really did and excellent job on that Spider-man canopy, I must say I am very impressed. Although that does look amazing and I’m sure you are very happy with it, brightly colored character themes aren’t really my style, could you do a carbon fiber pattern with black stealth fighter looking accents? I would attempt it my self but unfortunately I am a terrible artist.
Thanks again Eric and never settle for anything less than you deserve because you my friend are a talented Human being. Peace and Merry Christmas.
Eric Krystof
06/07/2011
Hmm, Carbon Fiber look, eh?
Well, a quick search shows something like this can be done with an airbrush:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Carbon-Fiber-Effect—-How-to-paint-the-carbon-fibe/
I’ve also see carbon fiber looking decals and stickers at my LHS (I have some), and those could be used, but the curves of a canopy would make for some… creative cutting so there is little to no ‘curves’ of the decal.
I guess if I was going to go pure home grown I’d use that same black paint lacquer (which has some specks in it), find some sort of screen or thin lattice work, then paint a second coat an off color. That’d be as close as I could get, I’m not much of a painter myself!
Merry Christmas!
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