Coverings the different types of and how to apply them

[woundedbear]

There are quite a lot of coverings available for covering the frames of Guillows airplanes. Is there a thread on the forum I can go to that list the different types of coverings? I have seen videos on using silk span and dope to cover model airplanes, and I have purchased SIG brand butyrate dopes and thinners for doing this. I also bought something from a hobby shop that was going out of business, it is something called "Parklite" and is a Hangar 9 product. I kind of bought 1 roll of this stuff on impulse "it was like everything else being sold there 40% off so I got it cheap" I have heard of other stuff too, things like Microlite, Coverite,Fliteskin and the lost goes on Is there a list of all of the covering materials and how to use the differents types on the Guillows forum?

[Chris A.]

You mentioned using Butyrate Dope and thinner. If you are building just for display, brushed on dope will work fine. However Butyrate dope is heavy as the formula and pigments are made for the glow plug gas engines, not flying rubber. Very high shrink factor that means you have to thin Butyrate dope or you can get some mean warps. I've had good luck with spray on Krylon paint that I just mist on in several coats after putting on one coat of clear to seal the tissue. The color looks very authentic as Krylon dries in a semi-gloss rather than full gloss. Do it outside. I can't speak to the other paints and coatings.

[woundedbear]

OK! Guys Are there any postings on this forum where the different iron on type coverings are discussed? I have something called Ultracote Parklite it also has "multi-temp thermal shrink covering" on the label. The label goes on to say it is a high-tech polyester covering that features a unique multi temperature-controlled adhesive and shrinkage system. I open this stuff just a few minutes ago and cut off a small piece it has a waxed backing but it is not sticky at all That was a It is extremely thin and light and I only have one roll of this stuff and have not bought any of the irons and other tools needed to cover a model with the polyester type coverings. I think it is perhaps a better way to cover small models so I have a lot to learn. Oh yeah! Thanks for your reply Chris A. The SIG dope comes in both a high and a low shrink (all of the SIG color dopes are low shrink formulas) and I had planned to thin them 50/50 but I just might thin them even more," say 40/60. I have an airbrush and will only use a camel hair brush when preparing the frames with the sand-n-sealer. I found that the label has instructions on the back side so there you go, can't find where the label tells how much covering material a roll has printed anywhere. When the closest hobby shop went out of business I could have gotten a nice iron for 40% or more off going the price. I just didn't know anything at all about all of the polyester coverings back then so I had planned to stick with what I knew which was doped tissue.

[davidchoate]

Not that long ago David Lewis Posted a list of exact weights of all known coverings, but silk or doped tissue is open to variables like kind of paint and how many coats, etc...I just began using iron on coverings on Planes I want to fly. Microlite being the best. I got some Parklite as well to expereiment with it is a good middle fit between a microlite and monocote. I was hesitant because anytime I see Hangar 9 brand, I associate it with Gigantor sized scale Planes. It was the 1st iron on I tried because it was all they had at the LHS, and being ignorant of it's properties a year ago, I bought it. Yellow. Beautiful, and easy to apply. To the little Aeromca 30" RC conversion. It was a bad choice. One among a few that created a pile of balsa and pretty yellow about 50' in front of the launch- point. The most of them will put the weight on the wrapper with instructions, but did not see it anywhere on the parklite. It has a dectivelly thick backing which made me question it's weight. Bill Gaylord gave me some advise on coverings, and I have since been going to the microlite 1st now.It's just more practical, and easier to fix up a botched application.Once proof of cocept is achieved it would be easy to peel it off and apply a more desireable true to scale material. It is sooo much easier to correct warps, and set wingtip washout with than tissue. But I have noticed it necessary to double check all this everytime It is to be flown, and can not help but think it wise to put the Plane in whatever environment it is to be flown and then check it. I hae'nt got to the point of having that many back to back, or 2nd flights yet to give any more advise.I got only two RC conversions that survived the Maiden .