Larger model coverings

[James Humphreys 1]

As per the title really what do you use to cover your larger models, I've got a farmhand 90 which needs a re-cover and I'm torn as to what to use film, fabric, tissue, suggestions and reasons much appreciated.

[Dale Bradly]

Laminating film and ceconite I use

[David Davis]

My former chairman used ladies dress lining on his Goldberg Sailplane, it's pretty cheap. If you were to cover the flying surfaces in doculam or mylar first you would use less dope.

[Frank Skilbeck]

Diacov or Diatex is a great Solartex/Oratex alternative, with Diatex you have to use a separate adhesive, Diacov has an adhesive backing so just irons on. You do need sharp scissors and knife to cut it though. Being used to cover full sized light aircraft it's pretty robust while quite light, I've covered a couple of models with Diacov now. Only downside is that it is not available in any colours so you'll need to paint it.

 

Sarik Hobbies sell Diacov by the meter, full size light aircraft suppliers would be the place to go for Diatex, e.g. Skycraft

 

 

[John Laird]

I have used doped polyester dress lining but 2 drawbacks - it needs more dope to fill weave and material needs to be stuck on - i used impex material glue which is similar to balsaloc and activated with heat.    Apart from dope, materials are lo cost.

 

I have now switched to polyester faux silk doped on over doculam  ( similar to mylar but with adhesive already on it ). 2 coats of 50/50 dope thinners are sufficient to tighten and weatherproof the covering and is fairly light covering ( 0.17 ozs / sq ft )  Slight wrinkling will respond to hot covering iron as per solartex which I believe  was also polyester based material .  I have still to try it with ezedope which is reputed to be fuelproof.   

 

The silk is about £1.20 per running metre 48" wide and is semitranslucent - see photos of my Keil Kraft Outlaw - video of which is on utube

 

Video of outlaw is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4gQV4tYLWg

 

I have also used polyester chiffon over doculam - see photos and video here.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oS758KRCXII&t=386s

 

Hope this is of help on your recovering.

 

john

[stu knowles]

An interesting mix of new (lam film) and old, (Material and dope) John

 

The you tube videos return to this thread, would you have another go at reposting them please

regards,

stu k

 

[John Laird]

7 hours ago, John Laird said:

 

Video of outlaw is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4gQV4tYLWg

I thought I had loaded the links properly using the link icon - trying again

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4gQV4tYLWg  for the Outlaw

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oS758KRCXII&t=8s for the big Vagabond

[John Laird]

Now I have the hang of loading utube videos, I thought i would slip in the one of the standard size Vagabond covered in blue chiffon over mylar which came out very nice and as you can see is nicely translucent mirroring a doped tissue covering but very much stronger.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=957ylA8daZU&t=244s

 

 

[stu knowles]

Nice models.  I am only just discovering Laminating film following on from Ron G's posts on using and sourcing this material. I had not even considered using it as a base for tissue or other doped covering but I can see the benefits already, not least that it should give a traditional appearance with very strong puncture resistant covering and a good base for paint.  I tried cellulose based paint over matt Lam' film but it doesn't adhere well.

 

 

[Ace]

Did you use a plastic primer first?

I scotchpad key my laminating film first, then plastic primer which I can't scratch off with a finger nail.

Compatibility between primer make and topcoat needs watching of course.

[Scott Edwards 2]

Two years ago I needed to cover a 150" span vintage monoplane, and the projected cost of Oratex or Diatex made me weep copiously ☹️

 

I went back in time to Nylon and dope !  I watched a couple of YouTube videos, and it was much much easier than I expected, very satisfying to do, and the finish is tough as nuts.

 

You can get 40gsm Ripstop nylon from eBay for about a quid a meter, and buy dope in as large cans as you can find. The finished covering comes in at 3 quid per meter squared, and can then be painted with anything you like.

 

But - it seriously honks the house out, expect considerable spousal discontent ☹️

Edited August 15, 2021 by Scott Edwards 2

[cymaz]

2 hours ago, Scott Edwards 2 said:

Two years ago I needed to cover a 150" span vintage monoplane, and the projected cost of Oratex or Diatex made me weep copiously ☹️

 

I went back in time to Nylon and dope !  I watched a couple of YouTube videos, and it was much much easier than I expected, very satisfying to do, and the finish is tough as nuts.

 

You can get 40gsm Ripstop nylon from eBay for about a quid a meter, and buy dope in as large cans as you can find. The finished covering comes in at 3 quid per meter squared, and can then be painted with anything you like.

 

But - it seriously honks the house out, expect considerable spousal discontent ☹️

 

If you do dope in the house, her ladyship will be so high as a kite, she won’t care?

[stu knowles]

On 13/08/2021 at 16:42, Ace said:

Did you use a plastic primer first?

I scotchpad key my laminating film first, then plastic primer which I can't scratch off with a finger nail.

Compatibility between primer make and topcoat needs watching of course.

No, I'll be honest and say that I didn't know that plastic primer existed.  My chosen top coat would be Cellulose or 2K automotive paint.  Do you know  which might be compatible??

[Ace]

I used U-Pol Plast Filler/Primer 3 and although the lam film overlaps at the edges these can be feathered. Mine is 635mm wide minimizing the number of joins and the primer eliminated them. I guess any primer formulated to be used on plastic bumpers or other coloured parts would give the adhesion required such as Halfords plastic primers, then top coat of choice. I suspect the keying of the lam was important as mine is gloss, although I have never tried it without. I believe Ron Gray has sprayed matt (?) lam on his LA7 build?

[Ron Gray]

Irrespective of gloss or matt I still run the fine sandpaper over the lam film to provide a good key for the ‘standard’ primer that I use. I’ve found that doing this results in a very durable finish, the side benefit is that the sanding highlights any areas of the film that haven’t stuck to the airframe.

[stu knowles]

Thanks for the responses guys.  In the light of rocketing balsawood prices, threads like this are just what we need, well - just what builders need.

 

Ron, I have tried a sample of the Lam film that you sold on, on a section of a scrap wing and been well impressed, but the section I sprayed with cellulose seemed to stick until a few days had passed and then it could be easily scraped off with a fingernail.  I'll order up some primer today and try that.

 

I found two 150m rolls of lam film on ebay.  Only about a foot wide but £9.99 for the two so it seemed to be a win.  If I find a way to successfully put on a paint finish then between Lam film and Brown Paper / PVA,  I'll never have to use anything else.

[cymaz]

Just finishing my first airframe with dope and ripstop nylon. It’s a lot of extra work compared to “standard” methods. 

I’m chuffed to bits on the result. If anyone wants my  step by step guide, you’re more than welcome.

[Gary Binnie]

I use Sig Koverall for glider wings, not as cheap as it used to be but what is nowadays?!!

 

Used like Nylon, attach with dope and seal with amyl actetate 'banana oil'.

 

As it comes in a folded pack it can have creases but they usually disappear after heat shrinking or first coat of dope.

 

 

 

 

[Gary Manuel]

I used HobbyKing film on my Farmhand 90. Results can be seen from my Avatar.

 

[EarlyBird]

5 minutes ago, Gary Manuel said:

I used HobbyKing film on my Farmhand 90. Results can be seen from my Avatar.

 

Nothing wrong with that! My favourite colours as well ?

[Murat Kece 1]

On 05/12/2021 at 12:27, cymaz said:

Just finishing my first airframe with dope and ripstop nylon. It’s a lot of extra work compared to “standard” methods. 

I’m chuffed to bits on the result. If anyone wants my  step by step guide, you’re more than welcome.

Hi CYMAZ

A step-by-step guide will be much appreciated as I am going to build a large LazyBee and T240..

[Stephen Belshaw]

Gary Binnie, what a lovely looking glider - what is it?

[Gary Binnie]

It's a Chris Foss Hi-Phase, 144" span Open class soarer, rudder, elevator, spoilers.

 

It was a major modification of the 100" span Centi-Phase (geddit?!) with a balsa fin grafted on to the fibreglass fuselage and a T-tail.

 

Wings are completely different, three joiners instead of two, polyhedral and swept back (the CG is at the trailing edge at the root which takes some getting used to).

 

It was eventually developed into a new two-piece fuselage and foam wing kit. The two-piece fuselage enabled it to be packed in a smaller box (so I'm told by an inside source!).

 

1. The Hi-Phase in progress, salvaged a scrap fuselage.

 

 

2. Two of my Centi-Phases (of four, I wrote one off and an all wooden build is in progress). The nearest has built up sheet-covered wings, the furthest has foam wings.

 

 

3. Phase Lift, Hi-Phase and Centi Phase.

 

[GrumpyGnome]

Bet they fly as well as his other designs........ 

[Gary Binnie]

They surely do. They only ever have gentle surgical tube bungee launches or light wind slope outings. The first Centi-Phase was written off landing at the bottom of a slope when the wind and lift died. I know better now!!

 

I've been flying large soarers with ailerons and coupled roll flaps for the past 15 years or so, flying these on rudder only now is entertaining.

 

To bring the thread nearer to back on track the coverings of slope glider wings have to be thought about because of the prickly nature of the plants and bushes plus the ground can be rocky or chalky in places. Small span gliders need the same puncture resistance/strength as larger flat field models. The favourite covering was Solartex, I think there are replacements but expensive. Nylon is a lost art, 'covered in its own bag to bring the bits home in'!!

 

I've used the HobbyKing gloss film which I thought was good value, fairly easy to use though it can easily stick to itself before ironing. I covered a Multiplex Cortina with it, a model on the larger side.