Skribnod

Hi all I am going to be starting a GP Patriot kit in the near future and I was wondering if anyone has glassed the wing instead of the open area in the middle? I was thinking of putting a thin layer of fiberglass over the area and then the whole jet could be painted instead of monokoted. Also would glassing and painting be too heavy? I already fly a older patriot that flies superbly but is a little ratted out from the previous owner so now since I have the experience I was gonna build a kit since manufactures do not offer this in a arf form. Thanks

Stormovic

My Feedback: (29)

I have glassed and painted in the past and I can tell you that it is a lot of trouble and in my opinion not worth it. If you do glass it you will have to paint it with a fuel resistant paint. Since the super poxy type paints are no longer around I cant recommend a decent sub. Nothing beats a good Monokote covering job. This is the way to go.Trust me.

Bucshot

My Feedback: (16)

I'm building a patriot that is almost complete. I plan to glass the fuselage and paint it. However, I had the wing completed before I decided to finish it this way. I wish I had made the decision sooner because I would have fully sheeted the wing and then glassed it as well. Since my wing still has the open rib bays, I plan on covering the wing with Sig Koverall, sealing it with clear dope and then painting it like the rest of the plane. I've also thought about closing off each wing bay with balsa sheeting, but the amount of work to do that is not very appealing. The main reason I decided to glass and paint is because of all the curves corners on the fuselage, covering with monokote would really be difficult. I've seen one covered in monokote and it looked terrible.

Flyboy Dave

My Feedback: (21)

I'm probably going to go with the best of both Worlds on my Pat.
Kover-all on the fuse and tips...painted....and the Ultra-Cote over
open wing panels. I'm not a super fan of ultra-cote, but it is thick,
and strong as heck for the wings. That way, I'll have the best finish
and the lightest wieght.

Even over a fully sheeted wing....it would be hard to talk me into glassing
it, and painting....been there....too much hastle and weight. Probably
use the balsa filler....get it perfect....balsarite, and the Ultra-cote.

Dave.

Skribnod

Flyboy that sounds like a good idea. I think I can keep the wieght down that way and still maintain easy maintinence to the finish of the jet. I am just curious though as to how a person can calculate the amount of wieght glassing will add to a airplane? Thanks for the tips all and keep them coming as I can use all the help I can get since this is my first kit after building 14 arfs.

Flyboy Dave

My Feedback: (21)

It's hard to say on the weight...if you did that stuff all the time, it
would be easier to estimate. I would guess about maybe a pound
for all the covering materials....glass, resin, primer, paint, clearcote
ect. Plus the kover-all and the urethane. The Ultra Cote wouldn't
weigh very much.

You would want to glass out about 4 ribs each side on the wing
Two layers of cloth would be better than one, and you can get a
bit of a taper going.

I would consider sheeting the whole wing....as well as some spruce
spars, and plywood shear webs for mucho strength....

Dave.

CafeenMan

Skribnod - Fiberglassing is not difficult nor is it heavy if you do it right. In fact, I believe a good fiberglass/paint job to be comparable to Monokote in weight. Unfortunately, it's gotten a bad rap for weight because people slop on the resin, primer and paint and try to get one-coat coverage instead of spraying light coats and sanding each coat. It does take longer, but when you're finished you don't have any of the problems that are typical with iron-ons plus it's way more durable and looks a lot better.

For example, it won't peel up, it won't sag, it won't wrinkle and you can have any color you want. Plus it looks like paint because it is and all that nice wood work you do won't come out looking like a plastic toy when you're finished. It's your choice, but iron-on film is a substandard finish designed for people who don't want to take the time or put the effort into a good paint job. I'm guilty of using iron-ons too.

How to apply fiberglass

Skribnod

Thanks for all the info and tips. I believe im going to sheet up the wing and take my time on the fiberglassing. I have laid some fiberglass years ago and I think the extra added wieght is worth the trade off for the strength and finished look. I will take all the advice and try my best. I am still looking for some product that I can use indoors since my garage is not heated and I use the fan in my bathroom as a vent for small paint jobs. I have 2 bathrooms and my girlfriend lives 78 miles away so I need not worry about the use of the bathroom. Any help tips on a lieghtwieght non smelling or not as much smell fiberglassing or similiar product to use would be helpfull again.Thanks

CafeenMan

Skribnod - Use 30 epoxy finishing resin - not fiberglass resin. It has no noticeable odor. Use .5 ounce cloth. You can get them both from http://www.acp-composites.com/acp-cat.htm

I bought 60 minute epoxy last time and it takes forever to cure - at least 48 hours before it can be sanded. 30 minute epoxy will give you plenty of working time. It's called EZ-Lam from the link I posted, but other manufacturers make laminating resin too.

Also, don't think you need heavier weight cloth. You use it to give you a good base - not for strength - although that is a side benefit. Personally I would use .5 ounce cloth on anything through 1/3 scale and larger.

Skribnod

Thanx a bunch cafeenman it is just what im looking for.

Dave03B

so..... how did it go? I'm building a Patriot now and am strongly considering glassing the fuz and covering the wings, fin and tailplane.