The general steps described below convey a sense of the production process. Plenty of pictures are included as in this instance they easily convey the process more efficiently than words. The initial step is the application of wax to the female molds, followed by the application of the base color coat (typically white). In the case of fully painted models (such as Yuri), paint masks are applied to the mold for each paint color/pattern. To ensure symmetry, masks are produced by a vinyl cutter. Once the painting is completed, a layer of fiberglass cloth is placed into the mold, followed by a layer of airex foam, and then a final layer of fiberglass cloth. Carbon fiber cloth is added to the layup in areas of high stress (nose and firewall, landing gear mounts, wing tube mount, etc.) and in the ailerons, elevators, and rudder to assure they remain true under aerodynamic loads. Layers of cloth are placed in the mold at biased angles to achieve the greatest strength.
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