Silicon sealant for gussets?

[Keith Miller]

I'm putting together a Brodak SV-11 ARF. It's a nice "kit"!.
On past models, I've used epoxy with color tint (coming from a drop of some Testors paint) to create a small fillet at the fuselage/stab or fuselage/wing joint. Just a small fillet - 1/8" radius.

On this SV-11, the covering at the joints is white.
In general, mixing epoxies with a bit of white gives a kind of pale gray which doesn't really match the ARF white covering.

How would white silicon caulking work for a small fillet?  It would match perfectly, but how would it stand against fuel/exhaust?

Thanks!

[Crist Rigotti]

I would think that the silicone sealant doesn't add much strength to the joint.

[Dan McEntee]

   Just use epoxy for the main part f the assembly, and use whit silicone just as a fillet. I heard Keith Sandberg refer to this before as "Tube-O-Fillets! Overlap any iron on covering and make it the last thjng you put on as you can't paint over it. I have used it on several ARF models.
  Type at you later,
  Dan McEntee
 

[Avaiojet]

I'm putting together a Brodak SV-11 ARF. It's a nice "kit"!.
On past models, I've used epoxy with color tint (coming from a drop of some Testors paint) to create a small fillet at the fuselage/stab or fuselage/wing joint. Just a small fillet - 1/8" radius.

On this SV-11, the covering at the joints is white.
In general, mixing epoxies with a bit of white gives a kind of pale gray which doesn't really match the ARF white covering.

How would white silicon caulking work for a small fillet?  It would match perfectly, but how would it stand against fuel/exhaust?

Thanks!

I wouldn't go in the direction of caulking but that's me.

Why the adding of Testers white to Epoxy turns gray I have no idea? I've mixed white, yellow and just recently teal with my 5 minute Epoxy plus the hardener and the color never took on a gray scale color? The white stayed white and the yellow stayed yellow. I used Golden acrylic paints because I have a ton of them.

You could simply use your Epoxy and mix it with Micro-Balloons. They are white. Or just mask a line on your covering and paint that area white along with your fuselage. Scheme?

You do have to scratch up the iron on material where you apply paint.

Fred from Brazil, I love that guy, he covers his wings with iron on materials and has paint processed to match his covering color.

I would say Fred is the Expert in matching colors to iron on materials. With hopes, Fred my read this.

Charles

[Mike Alimov]

I've never used silicone sealant on combustion airplanes. Epoxy mixed with micro balloons will make a nice white fillet, but will eventually develop a yellow hue over time.
West Systems sells a white pigment mix- in for epoxy. I bought it and started using it, but can't say anything about yellowing because it's too early to tell.

[wwwarbird]

   Just use epoxy for the main part f the assembly, and use white silicone just as a fillet. I heard Keith Sandberg refer to this before as "Tube-O-Fillets! Overlap any iron on covering and make it the last thjng you put on as you can't paint over it. I have used it on several ARF models.
  Type at you later,
  Dan McEntee

 Yep, works great. White, clear, black, whatever suits the need. Masking first is a good idea too, same as you would prior to doing any usual fillet work.