Ben B Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 I spent a lovely few hours today reading a 1990 edition of Radio Modeller from a time when flying was half about building (or sitting in a chair dreaming about building).... which inspired me to get building. Now whilst I could finish my Cambrian Funfighter (got to the tricky painting stage) or even finish assembling my ARTF electric pylon racer I'm going to do what any radio modeller worth his / her salt would do and start building a different plane. So... two vintage kits ordered (a bit late for the mass build I know) but what to cover it with? I'm building a Mini Super and a Sid King Novice. Both for a diminuitive TT10GP engine which has sat in my shed for the last 20 years. I'll probably build the Novice first- the 10GP was the engine I initially bought to teach myself to fly with on a plane like the Novice so it will be interesting to see if I could have! But what to cover with 1) must be heat-shrink- tried the tissue + dope thing many years ago, got the headache, got told off by my mum about stinking the house out etc etc 2) cost effectiveness is appreciated- how much is solarfilm?! Almost had a coronary looking at the cost of a roll. 3) must look right- shiny shiny film on a vintage plane might look a bit pants I'm thinking Solartex might be a bit heavy for such a small plane- but is that right? It's probably closest to the "look" I'm going for. Up until now my sole film experience has been with Solarfilm and the last plane I film covered was circa 1995 so I'm a bit rusty. Sorry for the meandering waffle- any opinions appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamC Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 Litespan is what you want. It's a heat shrink product from solarfilm that looks a bit like tissue and dope when applied. It is more suited to smaller models. Edited By GrahamC on 18/03/2013 19:38:46 Edited By GrahamC on 18/03/2013 19:39:49 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Hargreaves - Moderator Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 I covered my Mini Super in Solartex.....it might be a bit heavier than film but not much different to the nylon & dope we used to use......here she is.....electric rather than ic... For lighter models then Litespan is a good option....you need to use a seperate adhesive like Balsaloc though..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormB Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 If you wanted to tissue cover again, DeLuxe Materials do a nitro dope 'substitute' : a water-based product called 'Eze-Dope' . I bought some a while back whilst experimenting with coverings and seems to work OK. Didn't use it extensively though. No appreciable smell - I can't handle dope any more , asthma's returned so I'm only using water-based paints. Have you requested the free sample pack of coverings from Solarfilm? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Williams Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 Try easycote from Stan Yeos Phoenix models.lighter than profilm and applies easy.Alan Williams Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben B Posted March 18, 2013 Author Share Posted March 18, 2013 Thanks for the suggestions- food for thought! Thanks for the headsup re the sample pack NormB- will ask them to send one over and have a look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simpson j Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Hi hobbyking 5 m £5 ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.