When you first open this fuselage, it is extremely well packed with styrofoam parts and cardboard cut-outs to isolate the different components from touching each other inside the box. Inside the box will be a clear bag that contains the tail fins and mounting hardware and a single page that covers the overall assembly of the fuselage. Major openings and seams are already trimmed leaving only to improve on the cooling fans exhaust route and any muffler exhaust pipe holes needed. The front windshield is molded in a single piece and must be carefully trimmed before bonding on to the fuselage after it has been painted. The fiberglass has excellent surface finish and the parts are lightweight but reinforced in areas that will open or moved frequently.

In getting ready to start building your fuselage we have put together a frequently asked question and answer (FAQ) page that outlines questions that are specific to the Twin Star fuselage and has a selection of general scale building Q&A as it applies to all of the LHC scale fuselages manufactured using Polyester resin. Beginners will no doubt, find a useful tip or two, click here to visit the building tips page.

Beginners new to scale fuselages should be aware that the time to complete this fuselage is significantly shorter than many other products we offer. The quality of the fiberglass work is quite good and requires less pin hole filling, has few seam gaps and rarely has air bubbles near the top coat surface. Although over the years, we have seen all of these very minor issues on these Polyester fuselages.

So how long does it take? Two weeks to a month is the short answer. This is more dependant on whether or not you have the necessary finishing tools to apply the paint scheme of your choice. Airbrushing is recommended, but we have seen good results from spray cans when the modeler has some experience. The largest paint brush that should ever touch the fuselage should not be wider than 1/4" [6mm] and only used for fuel proofing or very minor touch ups. Adding a pound worth of paint will certainly guarantee that a 30 size engine will not be able to keep your fuselage in the air or may never be able to get off the ground.

We have seen modelers complete a flying model with mechanics fitted and test flown in a weekend, but applying a good paint job might take another one to two weeks depending on your choice of paint and how long each coat is allowed to dry, any sanding inbetween coats and ultimately how long the paint is allowed to cure before being expose to fuel. An experience modeler can do all of this in a couple of weeks, but beginners should allow themselves one month as a general guideline.

Fiberglass Components:

Front Cabin, Rear Cabin w/Integral Tail Boom, Bottom Cover & Vertical Tail Fin.

Clear Components:

Front Windshield only.

Wooden Components:

Horizontal Fins, Wood Mount Rails & Square Backing Mounts for Screws.

Documentation:

Photo layout on a single sheet.