Vintage airframe coverings.

[David Hall 9]

After coming back to RC modelling in my retirement, trying several foamies, I'm beginning to fancy a vintage airframe. The Quaker Flash or the Astro Viking look attractive (maybe it's an age thing?)...

If I build one of these open framed airframes, would a heat shrink covering (Solarfilm) be suitable to cover it? (Just wondering if they must be done in nylon/dope)..

[Stearman65]

I have a Keil Kraft Outlaw on my to do list. I collected some transparent coloured film from Solarfilm's sales office near Wigan a couple of weeks ago. It's called Solite & available in lots of colours, transparent or opaque.

**LINK**

[Robert Welford]

In my opinion vintage models do not look right covered in film.

Natural or vintage Solartex (or Oratex equivalent) is suitable on larger models and is a good substitute for doped nylon.

On smaller models Polyspan is definitely worth considering. It is a heat shrink polymer and is much more puncture resistance than tissue, but the finish looks like tissue.

**LINK**

It also adds torsional strength to wings/tailplanes - unlike Litespan.

Edited By Robert Welford on 01/04/2019 15:07:05

[Don Fry]

Quaker Flash is too big for Solite. After that, aesthetics come into play. Regular weight Film or Tex. or there is a thred by David Mellor for a double size junior 60, using laminating film. This stuff is also available in a Matt finish which takes paint. That would be different.

Edited By Don Fry on 01/04/2019 16:12:45

[Former Member]

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[Former Member]

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[Braddock, VC]

Heat shrink film is fine, it was developed in the usa before ww2 so meets any vintage requirement by many years.

It's your model and should you choose to use film and one of the vintage police criticises you, advise them to remove themselves in short, jerky movements.

Keep in mind that brushless motors and lipo batteries don't have the same history.

If you can get it, fibafilm is a fantastic material to cover with as is coverite's (unfortunately discontinued)micafilm. Both really strong and very light compared to the tex coverings.

Impex HT 1780 adhesive is better than balsaloc as a heat activated glue for fixing the covering.

Just my 2ps worth.

[Former Member]

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[David Hall 9]

Thanks for the suggestions.. I was concerned that a heat shrink covering might be too flexible for the structure, but I've seen lots of photos and videos of vintage models covered in (transparent) film. (They might not look quite right, but have an appeal as an easy to apply covering).

[David Davis]

The Quaker Flash could accept Solartex as a covering but be careful not to shrink it too much. In the Vintage range of colours offered by Solarfilm it could look quite authenic but only Vintage Orange or Vintage Yellow are now available.

[Don Fry]

Query, attaching tissue to Doculam, I assume non shrinking dope is the glue of choice?

And, if I were to use this technique, where do you get tissue from in this day and age, to cover an 8 foot Keil Kraft Falcon? From memory, the wings are about 15 inches in chord.

Why do I revert to Imperial when I think of these things?

[Guest]

George Stringwell ( Sundancer) has written some guidelines on tissue over mylar in the RCgroups vintage forum.

Dope is used as the adhesive. Most models flown at vintage flyins in this country are covered with tissue or tissue lookalikes such polyspan. My Debutantes have been covered with tissue/mylar. My Vagabond is covered with doped Chiffon over Mylar. The chiffon provides the colour and the mylar reduces the dope needed to fill the weave. Both contribute to tightening and the strength. Buildlog of the Vagabond with more photos are in RCgroups here

**LINK**

[Former Member]

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[Mike T]

As an alternative to the above films/tex's, you could use Sig Koverall (aka Dacron). On an open structure it would save the weight of redundant adhesive you'd get with Solartex and similar. You'd need a dope or equivalent finish after heat-shrinking it.

My only experience of laminating film is using it to cover a 'Genesis' (Zagi) flying wing. I think it was either the 20 or 30 micron stuff. It was very reluctant to attach itself to the (admittedly, painted) polyprop foam and even when I thought I had a good bond, it lifted within a few days. Negotiating compound curves was out of the question.

So, when covering a 'trad' model, how do you ease it around cowlings and wingtips, etc. and does it stick to balsa any better than foam? Are you using much thinner stuff?

[Former Member]

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[Mike T]

Thanks David, for that excellent mini tutorial . I must give it a go again!

What thickness film were/are you using? (As I said, I suspect the stuff I was supplied with was thicker for 'structural' reasons!)

[David Hall 9]

It just happens that i have a roll of 30micron laminating film (possibly hundreds of metres) that I used for some Depron models and to cover plans when building... multi-purpose stuff.

If it takes dope well, then will it take spray cellulose paint just as well?

Is the application of tissue necessary for strength, or will the film alone be good enough?

[Former Member]

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[Don Fry]

Is there a source of coloured tissue, a bit bigger than the Jap tissue?

[David Hall 9]

Solarfilm did a clear, mat version... is that an opaque finish, or one intended to take paint?

[PatMc]

Posted by Don Fry on 02/04/2019 16:22:46:

Is there a source of coloured tissue, a bit bigger than the Jap tissue?

Freeflight supplies has heavyweight Esaki tissue (about the same weight as HW Modelspan) at 600mm x 900mm in 3 colours + white.
I think that;s about the biggest tissue sheets available from anywhere.

[PatMc]

Posted by David Hall 9 on 02/04/2019 14:47:36:

It just happens that i have a roll of 30micron laminating film (possibly hundreds of metres) that I used for some Depron models and to cover plans when building... multi-purpose stuff.

If it takes dope well, then will it take spray cellulose paint just as well?

Is the application of tissue necessary for strength, or will the film alone be good enough?

 

I stuck the tissue onto the LF with Rustin's water based Floor Coating using an old tailplane as a test piece.

See this thread

Also covered the wings & tailplane of a Graupner Amigo with a tissue over LF using thinned dope then covered the fuselage with tissue over LF using Wilco's water based clear satin varnish.

See this thread.

In each case I wet the tissue then draped it over the surface then brushed a thinned first coat of the adhesive followed by a couple more coats as the previous one dried.

The Amigo has since had a little tissue decor added using thinners to re-activate the dope & stick it in place.

Edited By PatMc on 02/04/2019 22:38:03

[PatMc]

Posted by David Hall 9 on 02/04/2019 16:59:27:

Solarfilm did a clear, mat version... is that an opaque finish, or one intended to take paint?

I've never come across clear matt Solarfilm but I do have a couple of rolls of clear gloss Solarfilm in my stash.

[GONZO]

Have read this thread with interest. Tissue over laminating film I am aware of. But, the use of dope as the adhesive between the two coverings seems universal. Has any one used water based floor/wood varnish/coating instead of dope? Also, synthetic tissue like Solarfilm Airspan requires a coat of thin dope to seal and stiffen the covering. Has any one used water based floor/wood varnish instead of dope in this situation?

I do my modelling in the house using a spare bedroom. The wife is OK with me using the kitchen oven for heating model engines under repair but I fear the smell of dope throughout the house would be a steep too far. Hence the enquiries about substituting a water based varnish/coating for dope in the above two applications.

[Don Fry]

Thank you David and PatMc for my continued education. Gonzo, buy a diamond, good to go then.