Using an open cell foam I obtained from a local hobby supply store,
I cut the blocks at the same angle of the gear attachment to the underside
if the aircraft. I glued blocks together as shown on the left. I
then cut slots in the foam and fit them under the fuselage and around the
upper portion of the landing gear.
Once the fit around the gear is obtained, the rest is just a
matter of sanding the blocks to the desired shape. Sanding the foam
is no problem but keeping it from disentegrating at the edges and not breaking
it as it gets thin can be a bit interesting. The next step is to cover
these with glass.
The first step to laying glass over the form is to fill the open cells
of the foam with a micro-epoxy mix. I let the mix cure, sanded the
form with 60 grit paper and prepared it for the glass covering.
The glass was layed up in multiple small overlaping bids. This
made it much easier to follow the forms. After application of the bid,
strips of peel ply were added to hold the glass in place and make the finished
product smooth and require less sanding to finish.
The end result came out looking pretty good but still not
quite what I wanted. I have done some additional sanding and filling
to get the shape perfect. Once everything is right, I will add another
think layer of glass to ensure the ultimate strength.