Thanks very much for the kind words everyone, it is certainly encouraging.

It was a fun project but very time consuming and I'm looking forward to flying the model more often with my new launching trolley.  There are still a few issues with engine reliability; I wish I'd bought an Enya!

In regards to the foil I wasn't aware of Flight Skinz(??) at the time, and would have found the cost prohibitive anyway.  Kitchen foil has the following advantages:

- very light

- practically costs nothing

- looks good

with the following disadvantages:

- tears easily, hard to work

- much harder than painting

I made one big mistake working with the material, and that was to not fibreglass the model beforehand, presuming the foil would be a sufficient balsa barrier (which it is).  However even after many coats of filler and endless sanding, there is still wood grain showing through the foil.  That's how thin this stuff is.  There are different qualities of alfoil too.  Definitely spend the extra dollar on the pricier stuff (or in my case hope that your wife does).

Cutting:  A new blade is a necessity to prevent tearing, one blade being good for about 5 cuts.  Cut towards edges, not from edges, to prevent wrinkling.  A smooth, level board is another necessity.  I used a ceramic tile, which no doubt lowered the blade life but worked well.

Curves and Edges:  I'm still not sure whether it would be better to just razor cut the foil along edges rather than folding it over.  I didn't try it but suggest it would work better along trailing edges at least.  Folding over required a lot of cross cutting to prevent wrinkles and it was very difficult to make the edges stick.  It's not a very pretty effect either, but in the end it worked.  After much toil.

Compound curves are also very difficult, however if a small enough piece is used it does work.  I tried to imitate panel lines as well as I could with the pieces, but in the end reminded myself that it is only stand-off scale after all.  Having said all that, sheeting the wings was fairly straightforward.

Application:  As mentioned I found the water based finishing resin to work best because it is quick and easy to apply, spreads well, allows the piece to be moved, and eventually dries and sticks.  Drying time is slow, a day or two, and sometimes it will still lift and require another application.  It is still possible to peel a piece off once dried if you pries up an edge, which is actually an advantage for repairs.  Otherwise it sticks well. 

Each piece is worked over with fingers or a very soft cloth as it is applied to get the right curvature and remove bubbles.  This takes a bit of practice.

Finishing:  I used a couple of steel rulers to gently indent panel lines, and a ruler and drafting pencil to punch in rivet marks (pencil with no lead in it).

Spray paint went on over the top no worries at all, including a clear coat.  Masking is tricky as tape is a no-no.  It lifts and stretches the foil and basically destroys it.  I used Master Mask latex masking agent, but didn't use it properly and had a few problems.  Best to apply it about an inch wide and very thickly around your edge and be careful with the airbrush for excessive overspray. 

I used laser decal paper which went on without a problem.

For cleaning/polishing I found methylated spirits did as a good a job as anything.

The covering is now 8 months old or so and apart from needing a good clean it is still sticking well.  I also used foil for the canopy frame, along with canopy glue.  Very finicky.

Cheers!