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Covering options available for balsa planes at LHS?

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    Covering options available for balsa planes at LHS?

    Hey all,

    Wanted a new thread to get enough focus on the topic....

    About to get to covering the small PIper J-3 Cub. Want to light but not with a covering that's too transparent. What are the options available for the smaller planes other than monokote? I'm familiar with what's at NTC and SHS.

    Also toyed with using tissue but worried about getting it punctured. Used tissue on the Guillows kit.

    I have some old Solartex that might pass of as fabric, never used it before. But, will also have to spend time painting, so not ideal.

    So, something light, probably good enough to pass of as Cub yellow, that's not too transparent. Else, it's monokote... Also, will definitely have to paint the plastic parts...

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    #2
    SHS have Solarfilm. Much lighter than Monokote. Don't use Solartex as it is very heavy. Usually meant for big scale models. SHS also have Solite, but I think they are best suited for very small or indoor models.

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      #3
      Thanks Joe. Will go have a look at Solarfilm. Also read about someone using econokote for another Cubby but NTC doesn't have it.

      Didn't think about the weight for Solartex.... Good point. Thx...

      Where's the TA-152?

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        #4
        Originally posted by Tsunami33 View Post
        Thanks Joe. Will go have a look at Solarfilm. Also read about someone using econokote for another Cubby but NTC doesn't have it.

        Didn't think about the weight for Solartex.... Good point. Thx...

        Where's the TA-152?
        Econokote has about the same density as the Solarfilm. NTC used to carry them eons ago. My TA-152 is shelved due to shift of interest. Now currently in DLGs.

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          #5
          You could consider Polyspan. It looks and feels like silkspan tissue but is actually a synthetic material. As such, it is much stronger and resistant to puncture than silkspan tissue. It is applied as you would with silkspan ie dope etc but the difference is that you do not use water for the initial shrinking prior to doping. Instead, being a synthetic material, you can use a heating iron or gun to shrink it. You can finish with dope, primer and paint ias you would for silkspan. Polyspan is not sold in Singapore. I get my supply from the US. I use it for my control line models. Oh, something else to note, there are two sides to the material, you need that the smooth glossy side is outside and the slightly hairy and matt side is inside. Can sometimes be difficult to tell which side is which. If you put the matt side up, you will end up using a lot more dope and paint to get a decent finish. Check up the internet for more details on how to handle polyspan.
          To win........one must not lose.

          Confucius

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