DMyer

My Feedback: (2)

Well I pulled out last years Predator to give it a good going over prior to it's first flight this year. I was shocked with how much the covering bubbled/lifted over the winter. It looks like the covering exploded like a gerbil in a microwave. I tried ironing it back down... but the bubbles were so big in many places... that it won't shrink back down without creating lot's of smaller wrinkles... What is this covering? I have covered a lot of planes and never had one become a big mess like this. It looked great last fall and had very few imperfections prior to being put away. I am almost tempted to strip it and recover it right with some better covering. Anyone seen this before?

splatt

yup, predator covering is pretty poor, almost as bad as viper covering. The first Predators had good covering like ultracote. The newer ones are pretty bad. With our 46 FX's one guy just pulled it all off and raced it naked. The FX's with the muffler tipped down put no oil onto the model so he got by. I'm planning on stripping my Viper soon and recover it. huge, huge sages that when I heat up puff up like a big balloon. I wish they sold them ready to cover.

I read somewhere that it's a covering developed to use in high heat and humidity condition, try heating the snot out of it and poke it with a pin and rub it down with a oven mit while it's still hot.

pdxpaul

My Feedback: (1)

Not good stuff, and the seems of the Predator covering won't keep the fuel out. I recover them, and take the opportunity to do some mods, e.g., pins, sanding, bury the pushrods, etc.

Hey Splatt, what is your preference: Predator or Viper?

Paul

splatt

Which one hmmm.. Well, I raced my Viper once before winter set in here and I loved the way it launched. I only had to hold a little up, very little up and the model takes off perfectly, no rudder or anything. In fact on my first Viper flight I took off and flew the course with no trim adjustments nessassary. My Predators always seems to take a combination of up and right rudder and right alieron to take off straight. I have more time flying predators, one thing, there lighter by a 1/4 to 1/3 lb. easly. The Viper was more difficult to balance correctly, it wanted to be tail heavy.

The snow is gone here and our first race is only 30 some days away. I 'll get out in the next few weeks and put that question to test.


Thanks and good luck.

DMyer

My Feedback: (2)

"I read somewhere that it's a covering developed to use in high heat and humidity condition, try heating the snot out of it and poke it with a pin and rub it down with a oven mit while it's still hot."

Maybe next winter I will store it in my bathroom instead of the basement to keep it hot and humid! It looked great until I put it away for the winter. If I can't get it to lay back down proper I might just strip it and recover it right since it is a nice straight fast one. I would rather do that than to race it with turbulators all over the wing! About what is the maximum tempurature you can heat that plastic wrap? I had my iron about 300 and was getting real nervous about going any higher.

dan

splatt

You mean you don't sleep with your plane.... that would keep it hot and humid. If you can't get to go down with 300 + degrees than strip and recover it

DMyer

My Feedback: (2)

Well I hit it again last night... I took the sock off the iron and used about 370 degrees... the wrinkles disapeared quickly... took about 15 minutes to have the fuse covering back in like new shape. I just can't believe that covering took that much heat and it didn't seem to cause any harm. I will try the wing tonight with a bit less heat... don't want to deform the foam.

Dan

splatt

Good to here. 370Ëš huh, that's hot. How far is that on the dial. Thanks for the update. I'll crankup my iron and try.

DMyer

My Feedback: (2)

That is about 3/4 of my Coverite iron heat range. I am tempted to check the heat with a thermometer to verify my thermostat is still accurate... however... I have not noticed any difference in heat requirements for other coverings like monokote. At 370 degrees... there are a number of coverings that melt!

Dan