First, they are not stencils!  Stencils are different and made to be used again and crude compared to what we are trying to do.
I built a Rare Bear but for gravitational reasons I never flew it.  It was too heavy, so heavy the electricity needed to fly it would require its own nuclear power plant.  Don't ask, I won't tell you anyway.

The logo, nose art, required multiple paint masks.  Yes, I could have made a decal but it wouldn't have shown well against the deep purple background.  Besides, I like trying things I haven't done before.  The first step was to paint the background white.  The steps are labeled but I didn't take pictures of the final mask to expose the white outline.  It should be self explanatory, the little red diamonds are to line up the overlaying masks and are easily removed.  The rest of the trim was complicated also but not as bad as you'd think.  I drew it all on Corel and placed it over the digital drawing of the model.

I have some more info. and will try to find it.

This is the .PDF to show the working sketch.  It was done in Corel and can be manipulated to suit.  The final mask looks a little different, but this is where I started.

First, they are not stencils!  Stencils are different and made to be used again and crude compared to what we are trying to do.
I built a Rare Bear but for gravitational reasons I never flew it.  It was too heavy, so heavy the electricity needed to fly it would require its own nuclear power plant.  Don't ask, I won't tell you anyway.

The logo, nose art, required multiple paint masks.  Yes, I could have made a decal but it wouldn't have shown well against the deep purple background.  Besides, I like trying things I haven't done before.  The first step was to paint the background white.  The steps are labeled but I didn't take pictures of the final mask to expose the white outline.  It should be self explanatory, the little red diamonds are to line up the overlaying masks and are easily removed.  The rest of the trim was complicated also but not as bad as you'd think.  I drew it all on Corel and placed it over the digital drawing of the model.

I have some more info. and will try to find it.

It's about time someone besides myself called out the use of the word "stencils" when referring to "paint masks."

Funniest thing are those graphics companies that offer "stencils" when they are actually offering "paint masks."

Mike,

Your efforts are worthy of a standing ovation. Many kudos.

Charles

That is the coolest Chipmunk. You have to see it live to really appreciate it.

Mike's a artist.

the new cricut maker is pretty slick, with a minimum learning curve.  it's worked well for everything i've throw at it so far.

and i've discovered you can import DXF's in to it now...   hehehehehhee

Think youll be suprised how well heavy planes can go IN THE WIND . Though you need heavy weight wire lines .
Flew the 5 Ton Strega this weekend , .018 solids improved it over the antigue 20 years of use .018 laystrate . For some reason .

Controlled speed with the schneurle .46 on a 12 x 6 4/2 . Only problem it needs a few gallons of fuel for the schedule .

Helps if the pilots fit , on it , muscular & has good timing though .

Nice Plane . Pity if you relegate it to a hanger queen . Comeon , own up . Whadasit WEIGH  then ! ? .

Here's my paint mask. I like to use it while I stencil.

This is the .PDF to show the working sketch.  It was done in Corel and can be manipulated to suit.  The final mask looks a little different, but this is where I started.

HI Mike, that looks amazing. Someday there should be a for fun class called, "The Plane I hate to fly." And everyone flies "that plane" at least once.
Question:
So you design the mask on the computer, or use an existing design I suppose. Then the machine cuts it out. What does it cut it out on? Is it like a masking tape paper? Then you "stick" it on the surface and do your spraying of the color. Then the mask peels off? --and doesn't peel up your existing paint.

David

David, I design the graphics on my computer after drawing the airframe complete in two dimensions.  Once the dimensions of the model airplane is drawn I can make the trim scheme look pretty much like it will when it is applied.

I use Corel.

Our airplanes are three dimensional so sometimes it takes more that one try to get the design to wrap around a surface that is not flat, most are not!  If I'm copying a real airplane, like Chip Maroney's Super Chipmunk, I paste the .jpg image onto the workspace in Corel and copy away.  Our models don't look anything like the real thing in most cases some artistic license is granted.

Mac Tac is the preferred masking material in the Northwest.  It is vinyl and paint will not stick to it.  I buy it from Ordway, a dealer in L. A. and the will cut it to any width.  My cutter is only 14 inches wide but is plenty big to do any design I've wanted to do, including Paul's original Predator, although I didn't to the artwork only converted it to something I could use and cut the mask.

Yes, you sick it on the surface and paint away.  Not quite that easy!  The mask material has a backing paper that removes easily.  Transfer tape is applied to mask and the backing is removed revealing the sticky side of the Mac Tac.  On the more complicated designs I prefer to use Windex on the surface so I can move the mask around to where I want it.  There are a lot of tricks to getting things lined up, registers cut into the mask is one of them.  Like the Rare Bear nose art.

Going around compound surfaces can present a problem also. A little heat and a lot of patience helps.

Lanny used one of my masks for his airplane.  He only wanted a name and AMA number, pretty easy.

As far a plane I hate to fly, I still have one, sort of.  The Bearcat was just plain to heavy.  I didn't fly it so I couldn't hate it   The Freedom 45 I had at VSC last March fills the bill, although I don't really hate it.  It is just very difficult to fly.  There is very little margin for error and in any turbulence it becomes a real handful.

Thanks Mike. I'm going to try cutting some masks by hand for now and see what happens. I'm doing my first paint job with any sort of details. I originally bought decal stickers, but I knowthe army aircorp markings will look better in paint.  Same with the u.s. army lettering.  Well, at least that's my plan.