Layout Training Curriculum PDF

**Preparations** 1. Find APO and clock onto job. 2. What info can be found in the APO? a. Name of customer (signed, or no?) b. Serial Number of Aircraft and N-Number c. Whether Numbers are painted or vinyl d. Layout and color scheme e. General location of everything...

**Preparations** 1. Find APO and clock onto job. 2. What info can be found in the APO? a. Name of customer (signed, or no?) b. Serial Number of Aircraft and N-Number c. Whether Numbers are painted or vinyl d. Layout and color scheme e. General location of everything f. Masking order\* Knowing what needs to be masked first thru last. Mask in order from largest to smallest for archers. Typically, we spray the trim first then the bottom base with that plane. So, we cover what stays white, then prep both colors, then clean and cover the bottom base. That way when we turn it, we only have to cover the tiny trim and then paint the big color. It varies sometimes with the M Class depending on the layout, but the normal process is similar to the small planes. First, we cover the bottom, what we can save: elevator, bottom of wings, belly. Then we sand the whole plane with 600 and scotch brite and then apply the layout. Typically, we do the bottom base next, then any trims because they tend to sit on top of the bottom base. 3. Where to find the Layout? 4. Gather necessary tools: g. Sharp Blade h. Squeegee i. Vis-à-vis Marker j. Fine Line tape k. Masking Tape l. Paper Cart **Reading the Mylar** 1. How to utilize mylar, identify what tape its calling for, locate all landmarks and hints on mylar. a. What side to put the tape on, following the triangles or not b. The layout will tell you what size tape is normally used, and whether or not it matters. c. When laying out an archer, you nearly always follow the triangles. However, on the big birds there are times when one stripe butts up against another, and those times may require you to flip the line. 2. Using the proper thickness of tape where required m. The sharper the curve, the smaller the tape. Big tape is great for gentle flowing curves or laser straight lines, while thin tape works for things with big changes in direction, like the swoosh or a tail crossover. **Layout Do's and Don'ts** 1. Don\'t play connect the dots. The guidelines are just that, guidelines. a. The guidelines are there to give you the general layout of where the stripes are supposed to go, but ultimately two factors are what you need to remember: Does it flow smoothly across the surface, without any hiccups, flats, or kinks in the tape? Does it match the other side for the most part? If the answer to those is yes, being off a mark or two doesn't matter. 2. Keep a steady hand! b. Try to smoothly lay the tape onto the plane, while keeping your hands relatively steady, both the guiding hand and the pressing hand. If your guiding hand is waving up and down, your pressing hand will be pressing that into the plane. 3. Squeegee 4. How to leave tape hanging so it doesn't warp/bend. c. Leaving tape just hanging will cause the tape to warp, pull out a little extra tape and make sure the tape is hanging straight down and not falling off at an angle when you walk away. 5. How to handle tape: using your hands to dispense and lay d. For most of the time, only gentle pressure is necessary when laying out by hand. The only exception is for sharper curves. 6. Difference between quality tape vs warped/dirty tape. e. Reusing old tape is something I'm not good at, however as long as your tape isn't warped (from being left in a booth while it baked) or dirty on the sides, you are free to use it. Using warped tape will warp your lines, using trashed out tape will cause you to imbed that trash into your lines. 7. Tape has memory. f. When pulling a line over and over, the tape itself will eventually become warped beyond using on that line. Stick to the rule of 3, after 3 tries, get a fresh piece. 8. Pull the tape in small sections to help avoid connecting the dots. 3ft sections for example. 9. Don't stop in the middle of the fuselage/panel, only at a seam/window etc. g. When pulling tape, you can't just stop in the middle of the fuselage, cut the tape, and continue. Where the tape overlaps, there will be a blowout, no matter how good you metal tape it. Therefore, when we replace tape or adjust it, we pull it to the nearest break point, the window, the door, an antenna etc. **Practical Application Tips** 1. Double Check, Triple Check, from all angles, step back, get a second set of eyes, never be afraid to ask for help! 2. How to pull crossover lines, identify which stripe is the dominant stripe, and pull that first. 3. Relaxing the tape into Flutes a. By Relaxing we mean take all the tension off the tape and let it almost fall into the flute, this helps ensure that the tape adheres to the curved surface fully and eliminates blow outs, or the need to cut and tack when the tape won't stay down. 4. Proper Cut and Tack b. Anywhere the line is interrupted by something is a possible cut and tack scenario. If not done, each area the tape is raised will lead to a blowout. If it's a rivet, slice upwards thru the tape on either side of the rivet and remove the small piece of tape that will be separated. Align the metal tape and squeegee completely. If it's a seam, cut halfway thru the length of the tape along the seam lightly with the blade, line up the metal tape and squeegee. M class windows, and the main cabin door seam don't count because any blowouts will land on masked areas. c. Know how to pull tape over obstacles, i.e. flutes, door handle, static wick etc. 5. How to match layout on both sides d. This is mostly for ensuring that one side isn't completely different from the other, if one stripe ends 1in below the last window, try to mirror that on the other side. It'll be most apparent when laying out wingtips and tails. Take your time making sure your first side is applied as accurately as possible. Then when applying the other side/bottom, make sure you get it close to the landmarks, but if you must fudge it a little so that both sides match up, *do it*. It makes laying out so much easier when it's time to pull tape. 6. How to pull a split line and how to know when it needs to go on top or bottom. e. Typically, when a color butts up against the bottom base, that's normally your indicator to flip the tape. 7. How to pull a gentle curve, straight line, swoosh, points inside and outside points 8. N-Number layout, application, and location 8x8x8 (simulate wing location, know what side goes on what) 9. How to properly trim points/cut tape without cutting plane. f. Gentle pressure and proper blade angle/control **Goals for Beginners: ** 1\. Check APO for every plane we work on 2\. Be able to locate, verify and apply mylar to aircraft 3\. Properly mark all marks 4\. Know masking order 5\. Pull wingtips/straight line layouts 6\. Proper cut and tack technique 7\. How to properly trim out a point/cut tape so it doesn't harm the plane 8\. Know to not connect the dots 9\. Squeegee every line completely flat 10\. Know what size tape is required for which layout **Goals for Intermediate (All of the above plus):** 1. N-Numbers 2. Swoosh 3. Crossover \"X\" layout 4. Split Lines 5. Curves 6. Designs thru louvres 7. Proper \"mating\" of both sides, meeting up curves on the bottom and the top, and how to make them work when the layout is difficult.