Durafly Skymule Custom Paint Job Questions

[nsurina]

Hello,
I recently bought the Durafly Skymule and I as soon as I got it I quickly realized the current paint scheme looked bad and the decal quality was worse. A lot of the decals have been chipped or have been ripped off by the tremendous prop-wash coming off of the twin motors. I would like to attempt to custom paint job in a USCG transport scheme but I have a few questions first.

1. Is it worth it to buy an airbrush set, and are there any advantages to it over the spray paint?
2. What kind of spray paint works best for EPO foam and wont eat away at it or chip off?
3. Which brand or type of spray paint is best for the job I want?
4. Will masking tape give me clean edges to my paint job?
5. Is it possible to even make a clear canopy for my airplane and if so how?
6. If you recommend airbrush over spray paint, what type or brand is best for the project I have at hand and for future projects possibly like this?

I am sorry if this is posted in the incorrect section of the forum, but I didn't know where else to put it.Thank you for time in answering my questions, and I look forward to getting started painting!

 

[Corbarrad]

I've used Tamiya Lexan spray paint on my twinstar and funjet quite successfully.
The stuff comes in little rattle cans marked "PS-XX" (as opposed to "TS-XX" for acrylic)and stays quite flexible after drying, which is a plus on both lexan and EPO due to the flexibility of the material.
Adhesion is OK and gets better the longer the paint has to dry, just don't expect to pull masking tape off of it without pulling off the paint as well. EPO is tricky that way.

 

[mrwzrd59]

I too have had good luck with the Tamiya (lexan body) paint in the rattle-cans. You just cant lay down a very wet coat or it will run into the foam cracks between the beads. I use 3M green tape and I think that it is "low tension" so it comes off easily. The sharpness of your masking line depends if you take the time to nead or smooth down the edges. Also, don't lay it on very wet. Most people just don't have the patience to do multiple light coats. If you look in the FT archives, Chad had a great video/article on paint and using an airbrush. Worth looking it up! I had thought of buying a Skymule but have decided to build my own version FT style in foam board. I already started on the flying boxcar C19 that Josh did for the Pixar fire and rescue video. Should be a great plane with a huge cargo bay!

 

[nsurina]

. I had thought of buying a Skymule but have decided to build my own version FT style in foam board. I already started on the flying boxcar C19 that Josh did for the Pixar fire and rescue video. Should be a great plane with a huge cargo bay!

Thanks everyone for the solid advice. Good luck making the C-119, it looks like a big project! Be sure to post a picture or two on the forums of the finished product.