Estes Strikefighter build
 

I don't have much time to build but I am going to try to build the Strikefighter. This kit comes with a lot of parts and looks like fun. The balsa was a little rough so I had to use some balsa filler to fill in the dents and gaps. The one problem I have is that the canopy has yellowed over time. Does anyone have any ideas to clear the canopy up?


All kits start out the same

Since there appears to be "scrap" that you have to cutaway, try putting a bit of diluted bleach on a small section of the scrap area and see if that clears it up after awhile.

Take some more scrap and stick it in a window. I doubt it will work since it's plastic, but the UV sure does clear up yellowed decals.

Willbe wathing this - this was a bird I never really cared for, but since I have a couple of those cones, might be a good / different use.

I'd love to get a copy of the canopy - any chance of pulling an RTV mold off that ?

actually, since it looks vacuum formed, a way to get a clean clear canopy might be to replicate one = make a mold from the inside ( rtv mold), the pull a mold from that mold ( not from the part .. cast a new 'male' / inner form in something dense like epoxy, plaster ,etc .. then vacuume fom a new canopy over the hard form .
shouldn;t be too bad, although I;ve not vacu-formed anyhtign in years - still have the old Mattel vacuformer someplace though ( widely used to make small parts for modelling - from my railroad and model car days , vacuum over epoxy forms,etc) .

~ AL

Tried that with my yellowed Mars Snooper II decals - no luck after 6-8 weels in the shop window - and it DOES get sunny there, as pricetags on items fade to unreadable in 4 weeks...

although since Phred now has those, will be a good ending to the project afterall :)

~ AL

That's interesting. It worked for my Interceptor decals, and the trick has been around for years in the plastic modeling community. I wonder what kept the MS II decals from clearing up. :confused:

Putting yellowed decals in a window has never worked for me. I had a set for my Astron Shrike that sat in a window for about a year (I forgot they were there). No change.

As for the yellowed canopy, I noticed mine did that as well. Instead of fretting over it I embraced it. It reminds me of the canopies on the EA-6B Prowler. ;)
http://www.cv41.org/photos/gallery/...SC_93_01264_001

I thought I read somewhere that the Strikefighter canopy was actually a P-51 from a RC plane kit and that is was still available. Anyone else remember reading this?

I was wondering myself if it was same as the F-61 starfighter , which is same as the old Centuri fighter kits, iirc.

Does look like P51, if you knew the original source, or scale, something should be available.

definately interested in that info, should someone find out more.

~ AL

Looks like a 1/48 scale P-51 canopy to me as well.
See if one can be ordered from any of the Plastic Kit manufacturers and say you broke your original.