hafidy

I have the Sig Kobra. I am trying to find out how to cover the plastic deck cowl that sits on top of the fuselage. I want to use a plastic covering like monokote or econokote.

HOW DO YOU IRON ON PLASTIC COVERING ON TO PLASTIC COWLS?

S.H.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

You don't, you use matching paint. You can warp the plastic and the covering doesn't stick well to plastic. Some people have gotten away with it but most folks just buy the matching paint when they buy there covering. Econo is A very light covering and mostly used for planes like gliders and other light weights. Use either Mono or Ultra for A glow plane. Ultra is my number one covering but doesn't always have A color match in paint, something to look at before you buy.

ExperimentalAviator

My Feedback: (15)

S.H.

One idea is to use Top Flite Trim Sheets in a matching color. It is self stick and will match the Monokote.

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...SM&C=QAE&V=TOP

Mike

elecfly

Dont bring heat near that thing! I screwed mine up, full of melted bumps etc. Rather paint it ,Im going to have to rebuild my turtle deck with balsa

dhal22

i am glassing and painting my KK, so this is a very timely discussion. i have glassed and fully polyurethaned the fuse and i am ready to either attach the plastic turtle deck or toss it and build a balsa one. i assume i could then prime and paint everything at once. any good suggestions on getting this thing mounted correctly?

david

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

A trim sheet could work out OK. You spray the deck down with window cleaner then lay out the sheet and remove all the bubbles and let it set for 24 hours and it is stuck down. Trim away all the over lap and glue it down as per the plans. I use RC 56 canopy glue.
To glue the deck down you run balsa strips along the top of the fuse from the tail to where the canopy goes and you glue to that, very easy and it glues down tight.

blw

My Feedback: (3)

Another nice looking racer, Greybeard!

hafidy

I want to cover my kobra in olive drag and a cream type camo. Can I get paint that will match these colors for the plastic turtle deck? If so, which type and brand?

Another option I am seriously considering is to just build a replica turtle deck out of light balsa. It will probably be a little heavier, but at least I can roll the monokote right over it without worrying about which paint to match the monokote.
S.H.

hafidy

Thanks for the suggestions. Do they make trim sheets in olive drab and cream. I usually just see primary type colors. Ice bird!

S.H.

hafidy

David I had the same Idea of just tossing the plastic deck and building one from light balsa. I was going to monokote over mine was done. How is glassing done?

hafidy

Thanks for the warning, I was thinking that.
Which matching paint can I buy for olive drab and cream? I want a camo finish on my Kobra.

S.H.

dhal22

i am applying 3/4 oz fiberglass cloth over the plane (1st i applied sanding sealer and sanded). the cloth is painted directly on the plane with minwax water based polycrylic. you sand every 3 coats or so, applying about 8 coats. the polycrilic is water based and dries very quickly and very lightly. then i paint with sandable filler primer and fill in imperfections with bondo spot putty. wet sanding really smooths out the prepaint finish.

david

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

If you go to Completely Scale RC there is A complete set of instructions for glassing with the Poly method, best I have ever read. I have A plane on my bench right now that is going to get glassed this way. Glassing over an open bay doesn't work so keep that in mind. Any of the Tex cloth coverings work great and make you look like A covering pro, I like the SolarTex covering. It takes great to painting and adds almost no extra weight compared with plastic covering. Comes in OD green too and many other colors. Sold through Horizon and BUSA, you can look for yourself and see what colors they have. I have used off white and cream then painted over that too. Good stuff.

dhal22

i use Koverall for open spaces/bays. shrinks tight and fully paintable

david

Azcat59

I have built two of the little Sig Kobras.....fun outfits! On both, I used thin CA to attach .6 oz. glass cloth to the inside of the turtledeck, then installed it on the rails per plans, and painted the fuse with Klass Kote epoxy. Why cloth the inside? In our desert heat, there have been cases where the plastic top decks, if painted a dark color, can shrink up and become a real mess while sitting in the sun in the pits. The older Sig Skybolts have done this trick more than once.

I considered just making a new deck out of 1/32" ply, or even the thin 1/64" ply, then glassing the outside of it. Either would work.

If determined to avoid painting, the Monokote trim material suggested by someone above is a good idea, I would think.

Clair

SPLIT S

Painted turtle deck on mine. PPG DBC with DC3000 clear.

Dan

hafidy

Thanks. Real imformative. I can't wait to finish mine. Right now I am about halfway done with the wing. I built a sig Kougar a long time ago. I painted the turle deck on that one.

S.H.

papermache

My Feedback: (35)

Just to clear up a misconception. Somebody earlier in this thread said that Econokote was much lighter than Momokote. Actually, the two are the same weight. The difference is that Econo goes on at a lower temperature. This makes it good for covering foam. If you do your own fancy graphics, econo goes on over mono very nicely with no bubbles.
Even with the reduced temperature, I don't think econo would cover plastic. Best to use the matching paint or re-make your turtledeck in balsa. Good luck.

papermache

mustangherb

My Feedback: (6)

I have seen on another thread where the builder glued a sheet of 1/32" balsa to the plastic turtle deck. After this he could use either monokote or ultracote to cover.

Hydro Junkie

Not to hijack the thread but has anyone ever tried to put in retracts? Seems like a good way to reduce drag on an otherwise slick design