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WolstonFlyer's Tucano


WolstonFlyer
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Just to add my opinion (I am by no means a past-master at this covering business, but have produced fairly reasonable results!!)

As the surfaces you are covering are solid, not open surfaces like a built-up wing, I would start from the centre and work outwards. (I have the Solar film tutorial CD which shows how its done).

The key is to have the iron at the right temperature to cause adhesion but without causing the film to shrink. If the iron is too hot nd the film shrinks then the further away from the centre the more dificult it becomes to avoid wrinkles.

When the whole area is covered I then add the cloth sock to the iron and turn up the heat to ensure really good adhesion and to shrink the film to a really smooth tight finish.

I have the Prolux digital iron courtesy of RCM&E when I first subscribed. I use film from Giant Shark. For inital tacking I set the temperature to 100 deg.C and for final sealing I use a maximum of 140 deg.C - I have never used a higher temperature.

GDB

PS I've sent you a PM

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I would agree with Martin's method on an open structure - like a built up wing. Tack the centre of one short side, then with gentle pressure tack the centre of the opposite side. Then tack the centres of the two long sides. Then work around ot edge all the edges fixed down. You do this with the iron at a lower temp - I don't know the temperature unfortunately - I just know when it "feels" right! Once you have all the edges firmly glued down, up th eiron temperature a tad (yes I know that is very vague!) and shrink the film. To find the right shrinking temp just try it up a little - if it doesn't shrink, up a little bit more. remember to give the iron plenty of time to come to the new heat each time.

But for a solid surface I would do it slightly differently - more like Caveman suggests. Start now in the centre and tack that. Then work out in all directions from the centre - avoid creases but don't worry about getting it tight - just let it lay on the surface smoothly. Again this done with a slightly cooler iron. Don't make it shrink as you fit it - that's a sure way to create a crease. Once it is all stuck down, turn the iron up a little again and shrink it. Et viola! Nice smooth well stuck down film and no creases!

That my method anyway.

BEB

PS Don't get the film too hot when shrinking it - it needs to be just hot enough to shrink - no more. If you get it too hot this seems to create problems later with the film going "saggy" or "wrinkly" in bright sunlight.

Edited By Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator on 21/10/2013 11:50:59

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Hi Martin, Tim, Caveman and BEB

Thanks for the advice, it really is appreciated! I just checked my email and found lots of replies to my build thread

I think I am trying to do too many things at once and have the iron a bit too hot. I think the Giantshark / Hobbyking covering is shrinking as I try to stick it down and that is why I ended up in a real wrinkled mess when I tried to do the big wing section last night. I must have just got away with it on the smaller surfaces.

The covering was also going transparent in spots (like little bubbles) so I am probably over heating it. I will pull off that bit and try cooling the iron from 120 degrees to 100 and try again.

I am out at a club meeting tonight so will give it a go when I get back later

Cheers

PS. Thanks for the PM Caveman

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It does look like you were overheating the film there James this, I'm afraid, can be a slow process, and patients is required by the bucket full.

When I set my iron temp I started at a temp below the point where it adhere's and stepped it up one click at a time till I found the lowest point at which it would stick sufficiently to get it in place. this ensures you've got maximum shrinkage available when you come to the second stage.

phil

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  • 3 years later...

Hi wolstonFlyer

I'm a bit late on this one, as I'm just about to start the 2013 mass build as I was not too keen on this years choice. So I've read lots of the threads on this one. So I've just received the wood pack and looking at my electric motors etc. My question to you is this, on one thread you mentioned using 2 X 2200 3 S lipo,s to drive it. Like you I have more of these lipo,s than I should admit to, but how did this work? Or did you revert to 1 larger size. Reads lots on this link but couldn't find an answer.

Thank

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Hi Tom, as you haven't had a reply yet, I thought I'd jump in an offer my observations.

I use a single 2200mAh battery 25C, Tower Pro MG90S servos, Emax GT2815/07 motor with APC 11x5.5E prop and, 40A ESC.

The motor provides about 350 Watts and provides quite a llvely performance.

I did try running 2x2200 batteries in parallel, mainly to increase the weight of the plane for better capability in windy weather. However, the extra weight did reduce the agility of the plane more than I liked, although the endurance increased significantly, so I went back to only one battery.

I have since experimented with an Orange stabiliser/gyro, which does help in gusty weather, but isn't really necessary.

I've a build log of my efforts here **LINK**

Hope that helps.

GDB

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Thank you for that Caveman. I've now read your log, and it looks a very attractive build. Do you fancy building another. I had a DB Jodel, which I bought from eBay, which the guy told me it flew on 2 2200 lipo,s. Having put the set up he advised in the plane, I had the same problem, it was too heavy. So I finished up reverting to IC on that one. This model looks the business so I'm hoping my 2200 3s do the job.

The time it takes me to build, it's going to be well into summer before it flys. So thank for your help.i may be back.

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  • 1 year later...
Posted by WolstonFlyer on 25/02/2018 13:59:43:

Sorry Tom and eveybody else, the model never got finished, it is in storage. I have since moved house and not even flown anything for over 12 months. I might come back to the hobby when I get chance between a hectic job, 3 kids and renovating the house.

Exactly what I did, the house is finished now, complete, and the kids left home,

Now I think, "why did I stop flying?"

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Hi Beb hows things? all well I trust, just to add my tucano is still flying though its now 4s powered and a much more scale jet trainer like flight envelope, lord knows how its survived my landings but it has wink in fact the only damage its suffered so far was a broken elevator joiner while negotiating my narrow shed door blush

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  • 3 months later...

Well I have now flown both models. The little one was doing ok but just fell out of the sky. No idea why but it was a complete mess when I retrieved it, but no canopy. It sat on the garage floor for awhile as I didn’t know what to do with it, although jumping on it came to mind. In the end I cut the tail off and rebuilt the front end of the fuselage. The wings were good so rebuilt and flying ok.

The larger model just left the ground and flew away quite happily, but I have got confused with which way up they both are so some covering needed on the underside of both planes.

Great planes both of them, playing with making another of the larger ones.

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