So I got paint on the replacement fuselage. Looks good. 14 days then I might hit it with polyurethane, maybe...maybe not. Haven't touched the wing yet, have to still decide if I will go for BOM and strip the whole wing or if I will just open the center where the sheeting is damaged and patch the covering there. I am strongly leaning to patching, IF I compete, I doubt a couple appearance points will make any difference in how I place. (yea, still an if.)
The light blue one, with the failed paint, is leveled, 0-0-(0) (no engine holes yet) I leveled the stab then checked the wing, and after accounting for calibration error it was in fact -1.5 degrees on the stab, so "up" trim. I carefully cut it out with my vibrating saw. I pinned the stab in the gap left by the saw kerf after carefully cutting it out. (7 pins!) I then checked square to the main spar, level to the main spar, and 0 incidence to the main wing. Check, double check, a drop of CA, let it cure, triple check and check again, then a couple more drops of CA. I should have kicked as the CA bridging the gaps took an hour to cure! I just packed the entire gap with epoxy now that the CA is cured and a final round of checking had been done.
The Robart incident meter is rather well made and easy to use, if plastic. The parts are stoutly formed. I wish mine was calibrated. Now I have to RMA the thing for repair and I have only had it for a day! The spirit level agrees with my torpedo level, so I ran with it since 0-0-0 is the desired result.
As to the failed dope coating I think I will gently use a clean wire brush and strip whatever is loose, then sand lightly, followed by Rustoleum primer (NOT the X2!) then whatever color Rustoleum suits my fancy and I already own. I am sure the failed coating is because I abused this batch of very old dope with too much thinner.
Phil