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What should I use to cover my hi tec carbon fibre wings from Alexie Bukin.I have tried 5 thou Mylar using 3M spraymount and failed miserably.It did not stick to the undercamber and was wrinkly elsewhere.Should I use 10 thou instead.I doped on tissue and wet it and that was a complete mess.
Hi DocJames
If you go to Mike Woodhouse’s website you can download a fact sheet dealing with the application of mylar and tissue coverings. Failing that try Polyspan from the same source.
Ployd
Before you try any other coverings, make sure the 3M adhesive is cleaned off. Try Dope thinner.
I use Polyspan and prefer this for covering carbon wings.
After covering, but before shrinking with an iron, put on 1 coat of dope. Make sure you let the newly covered wing dry overnight before any doping. Otherwise, the first coat of dope will soak through the covering and melt the covering off the undercambered ribs.
I also use fairly thick dope to adhere the polyspan to the carbon
Two coats of medium to this coats of dope over the covering should suffice.
Good Luck!
BillIt is now 6 years since I covered my F1B wings in polyspan.I gave them fluorescent tips, and they are still going fine.It has been a big success.I have used polyspan on a few models since. Although I now use tissue over mylar on smaller models.Time flies,unlike some of my efforts!!
Polyspan is the fav covering of one Alex Andriukov. Not sure what he uses to adhere it to structure, but I have used thick
dope modified by addying so cellolose glue[Ambriod, Duco, Sigment, all seem about same].
I put two coats on all faying surfaces and three on undercamber.
I am talking here about F1As, with more highly undercambered wings than F1Bs, BTW.
I always let the dope dry well before going on to the shrink and doping stages. Several hours in fact.
Let it cure while you sleep.I still like Polyspan, as it is easy to strip with acetone if repairs are needed. Now I am considering Ultracoat or equiv film
on the bottom with Ikarex on top surface. It is more puncture resistant then Polyspan given that F1As seem subject
more pokes than Bs, being heavier their brethren. I am now seeing many Bs with Ikarex all over tho. Bulletproofness!Hi Sweepetee
I think I used Aliphatic resin glue (Titebond) diluted with water, and then set with a heat sealing iron. I have just obtained some good contact adhesive from Mike Woodhouse of Free Flight Supplies. This, when diluted with thinners, works well on Mylar and ,I guess, is probably good with Polyspan. I am not convinced of the need to remove it easily, as mine has never been damaged- except when I shut a tip in the car door!!! It peeled off OK.
There is always a new mistake to make. I am a bit better with tissue over Mylar these days.Leeper
While I hesitate to question the wisdom on one who is older than dirt … etc … AA has left the Polyspan camp for the Icarex. His latest personal models are covered with Icarex and are colored ( or coloured for the doc ) with Tamyia spray on water based acrylic. We had a discussion around this at one of the summer SCAT Black Cup event. Probably when you were off on your grand tour , 2012 version. See mention in SEN. Alex sells the weight of Icarex he uses. I do not know what he uses to attach the covering. He says his wings are no heavier, probably lighter than Polyspan. My experience is similar with recovering my Vivchar models using the similar materiel sold by FAI Model supply,
Roger , who showers from time to time to avoid becoming older than dirt…
RM:
Re AA’s updated covering: I stand corrected & now agree as to Ikarex virtues.
Will try better to keep up on latest trends in future. THX.But re being able to avoid “…becoming older than dirt.” Showering will not help. I know.
sweepettelee wrote:RM:But re being able to avoid “…becoming older than dirt.” Showering will not help. I know.
Nah, no good at all……makes ya shrink.
Certain bits watershrink better than others.
There is only one cure for ageing, but it is a bit permanent.“From dust thou art so to dust thou shalt return”.
Methinks it is better to be “older than dirt” than dirt.
Thus,it is much “better to be looking at the green side than the brown side”
If you can’t figure these out you are just not old enough.
Cheers!I’m so much older than dirt, they named it after me:
https://soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov/OSD_Docs/G/GENAW.html
I haven’t planted any balsa trees in this particular plot as yet.BTW and back on topic, where does one purchase Icarex (and does it melt as you fly nearer to the Sun)?
Gnu
Both Alex and FAI Model Supply sell light weight Icarex or equivalent suitable for F1B, and probably other airplanes too … 🙂
http://www.andriukov.com and http://www.faimodelsupply.com.
I have tried to get it close to the sun but so far have not succeded. Below is the quote from SEN 1673 – 6 Aug 2012
Roger
Sartorial Excellence -F1B – Courtsey Andriukov
Seen an AA F1B covered with the Icarex that is on the Andriukov Web site – painted with a thined Acrylic paint by Tamiya normally for plastic models. Alex says that doing the whole wing adds less than 2 grams. Not a problem for these models as I noticed that the model a tiny piece of lead taped on to the motor tube bring it up to weight. The model had the USA and FAI/AMA number in an elegant gold paint along with Andriukov in gold script on the other wing. Alex also had another older pre-Argentina WC polyspan covered model with the same color scheme that looked pristime, he must take better care of his models than I do.
I have just reviewed this thread. My F1B is still flying with its Polyspan covered wings that are sprayed with fluorescent paint. That makes it 8 years old nearly. It must be a record for me. Carbon lasts a lot longer than balsa and tissue, nor does it warp!!
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