Black Covering
08-02-2005, 08:22 AM
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Black Covering
Anyone got a trick to keep black Ultracote or Monokote from blistering in the sun. Ive been working with covering a long time and I have yet to figure it out. Were talking on top of wing panels. Just did a new one it lasted one day and turned to a real mess.
08-02-2005, 10:16 AM
#2
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RE: Black Covering
Thats odd. My Skybolt has sat in the hot MT sun and never even wrinkled. My suggestion is to throw an old blanket or towel over the plane between flights.
08-02-2005, 10:55 AM
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RE: Black Covering
ORIGINAL: Deadeye
Thats odd. My Skybolt has sat in the hot MT sun and never even wrinkled. My suggestion is to throw an old blanket or towel over the plane between flights.
Thats odd. My Skybolt has sat in the hot MT sun and never even wrinkled. My suggestion is to throw an old blanket or towel over the plane between flights.
08-02-2005, 11:00 AM
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RE: Black Covering
The darker coverings do absorb the heat more than the lighter colors. However, One of the reasons this happens, is your airframe is sealed air tight. Moisture trapped in the balsa and inside the airframe expands with heat and balloons, or stretches the covering outward. As the moisture finds an avenue of escape, the covering then collapses and you are left with what amounts to stretch marks. I build in airholes or vents in all my open framework to prevent this. On solid surfaces, as the moisture trys to escape it will look just like blisters. I usually seal solid surfaces to prevent this. I know it sounds strange, but I use Aquanet hair spray on my solid wood surfaces to treat the wood and seal it. The hair spray is a lacquer and also helps the covering bond to the wood. It was a tip Jerry Nelson gave me several years ago and it has worked great on every airplane I used it on.
08-02-2005, 11:05 AM
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RE: Black Covering
The worst color is silver, then forest green; both get hotter than black. If you don't think so, make three equal sized frames and cover with the three colors and set them in the sun with a thermometer inside each. The silver will be hotest.
08-02-2005, 11:08 AM
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RE: Black Covering
KLOTZ
Black take more heat to get it to shrink, if not enough heat is applied when it is put on it will bobble or wrinkle in hot sun. Black absorbs heat and will be hotter than the heat used to put it on!
Black take more heat to get it to shrink, if not enough heat is applied when it is put on it will bobble or wrinkle in hot sun. Black absorbs heat and will be hotter than the heat used to put it on!
08-02-2005, 12:19 PM
#8
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RE: Black Covering
ORIGINAL: KLOTZ
Man what's the secret. This is so common here. Is that Monokote on the Skybolt. Its a beautiful plane.....
ORIGINAL: Deadeye
Thats odd. My Skybolt has sat in the hot MT sun and never even wrinkled. My suggestion is to throw an old blanket or towel over the plane between flights.
Thats odd. My Skybolt has sat in the hot MT sun and never even wrinkled. My suggestion is to throw an old blanket or towel over the plane between flights.
Edit: I think CCRC1 hit it on the head. The difference must be moisture. Montana is semi-arid, recieving 12 inches the WHOLE year. Indiana is much wetter, I'm betting.
08-02-2005, 08:23 PM
#9
RE: Black Covering
Nope, you missed it.
The secret is making sure areas, such as the wing, can breath between the ribs and putting in escape holes so the air heated by the sun can escape. If you seal the solid wood surfaces with something NON-BREATHABLE, any moisture in the wood can ONLY go into the interior of the structure - it can not form bubbles in the covering trying to get out.
The secret is making sure areas, such as the wing, can breath between the ribs and putting in escape holes so the air heated by the sun can escape. If you seal the solid wood surfaces with something NON-BREATHABLE, any moisture in the wood can ONLY go into the interior of the structure - it can not form bubbles in the covering trying to get out.
