Spiritwind

My Feedback: (44)

I'm building a YA P47 Razorback. I want to put Flite Metal on it. Recently I saw a post here where people were complaining about service from the Flite Metal supplier. (Not getting what they payed for.)
NOW, I do NOT want to start a war of words here. I just want to know has anyone dealt recently with them and are they sending product out when you order from them??
I just want to get the metal and do my plane, if ya know what I mean..Thanks..

smchale

My Feedback: (67)

There are a number of sources for this product. I'd inquire at a few including FM, see who can support your need with in stock product and order some. I've done a number of models with FM and you'll need lots of time to apply it and finish it...not waiting for it to arrive.

Spiritwind

My Feedback: (44)

Thanks, do you know of any other suppliers? I'm also looking at Aero Foil...

dvs1

I can only speak of personal experience with AeroFoil and I am 100% satisfied with it and customer service. I have placed multiple orders this year and every time it is on my doorstep within a week. It is a very easy product to work with and results are fantastic! I will be ordering more in the near future.

Dash7ATP

Weren't most razorback P-47's painted?   Whixh one are you doing? It should be a beauty in natural aluminum.

Dash

Spiritwind

My Feedback: (44)

Still up in air as to how I will finish. Thinking about the Miss Mary Lou...which has the tail section in metal and part of the cowl in metal. Then there's an all metal with a sharks mouth on it. It was from Brazil or somewhere down there. There are others...
Tried to down load pics but won't take them.... Do a search on Flite Metal in this forum and look for the YA P47 thread. There is a beauty finished in metal there...

Spiritwind

My Feedback: (44)

Pics...You can also go to Wings Pallete and see a lot more...

ram3500-RCU

My Feedback: (221)

The Miester P-47 in the previous post was built by my brother and I. The wings, horizontal tail and a few other smaller parts are Flight Metal, all the rest is Aero Foil.

It was our experience that Miester customer service is outstanding. We waited literally months for Flight Metal. And then it turned out we were short shipped and ran way short. They did send us more material, but it was long after we were done with the project that we settled up. In the meantime, we ordered Aero Foil and had it in three days.

Now, as far as the two materials goes, each has it's strengths. Flight Metal is slightly thicker, so it is less fragile (harder to tear) when stretching around wing tips and compound curves. The adhesive on both is equally good and you will destroy the products getting them back off. Aero Foil works around fillets and such exceptionally well being thinner.
Also, you can buy Aero Foil by the foot, and in 12" width. Very handy for those larger scale panels. Flight Metal is sold by the roll, unless they have changed.

We will be building a 144" P-47D Razorback (build thread is already started) and it will be covered with Aero Foil aluminum. Not many Razorbacks were all aluminum (started going over that way in 1944 just before D-Day), but there were some, and we like our razorbacks, in natural metal, with invasion stripes.

BTW, I'm including some additional pictures of her so you can see how nicely the bare aluminum has "aged" during the last year. She now has 40 flights on her, and gets better looking all the time IMO. Hope you can see the difference from the way she looked on display at Toledo.

Look in the line up. You can tell the one with aluminum, right?

ram3500-RCU

My Feedback: (221)

A buddy is doing his Miester P-47 as Darling Dottie III using Aero Foil. Very nice scheme.

G-Pete

There are some nice nattural jugs out there (hahaha Just realized how that sound..), I meant natural finish P-47 razorbacks. I would like to ask you, to share your expiriance with whatever you decide to get. Also interesting what do you do about the shielding of the alu (receiver).

Experten109/40

My Feedback: (-1)

a little of subject, but have you considered using aluminum tape? I'm experimenting with it right now and
it seems promising. sticks like crazy, and very light weight & plyable.

ram3500-RCU

My Feedback: (221)

Very funny.

I would like to see how you do with it as well. Please PM or email me me if you need any help with it.

Our plane is covered entirely with foil and the RXs were an issue to us. As it turned out, it is NOT an issue. After carefully checking the on-board JR Data Log after many flights, over a wide range of conditions, we found NO difference in the reception of the antennas under the foil, and the ones outside. We have 3 whiskers outside the foil, and 5 underneath. At times, the ones outside have more fades than the ones inside. But at no times did any of them ever exceed "normal" parameters.


Hope this helps.

ram3500-RCU

My Feedback: (221)

Aero Foil............. .003
Flight Metal......... .004
HVAC tape ......... .007 and up

Also, many panels are wider than the 2" you get with HVAC tape. I do use it for hatches and such, as these need to be a little thicker for effect anyway.

Experten109/40

My Feedback: (-1)

I'm using 4" wide tape. but my mistake for suggesting it. as I'm only doing a tiny 65" span plane.

ram3500-RCU

My Feedback: (221)

No disrespect intended. Yes, one can use 4", but it is still much thicker and heavier then these other products. You way too sensitive.

Experten109/40

My Feedback: (-1)

this stuff is 5mils thick. dunno where you got 7 from. a 1 foot strip weighs 4 grams.
I'm looking at it on the scale right now. but whatev, carry on.

ram3500-RCU

My Feedback: (221)

It varies with manufacturer. Plus, we miked all the products ourselves ourselves including the adhesive, but without the backing. That may account for the difference. At any rate, it is much thicker than Aero Foil, as you see. I'm not sure about the alloy as well. IMO, these other products look more authentic. But it is a cheaper way to go.

Experten109/40

My Feedback: (-1)

cheaper way yep. when you don't have 2 years worth of house payments to spend on a plane, you work with what you
have, and do a some extra work to make it look good.

ram3500-RCU

My Feedback: (221)

Aero Foil, is $2.50 / foot for 12", and $1.50 / foot for 6". Flight Metal is a little more. HVAC tape is bought by the roll and the 4" stuff is not cheap either. I use it as I'm in the trades and have a remodeling business. Either way, we are not talking huge numbers here.

I know it all adds up, but this is one reason why it takes my brother and I longer sometimes to complete a project. If it is something we are passionate about, and not just something to throw in the air on the week ends, we will talk our time and sometimes wait till we can purchase the items we want. Why just "make do", if time is not an issue?

Nothing is wrong or right here, just that opinions vary.

ramcfarland

My Feedback: (44)

I received excellent service from Flite Metal as well as VERY knowedgeable help in it's application,I look forward to using the material again,sorry you had some problems with length of shipment time on your orders.



Goldens RULE...

Spiritwind

My Feedback: (44)

I've settled on getting the Aero Foil. I sent in an on-line order but wasn't sure what to put for shipping. So I told them to email or call with total so I could pay them. It's been 2 days and no word. I'm sure it's just the holiday time and they may be out of the office. Will try to call them tomorrow. Looking forward to getting started on it.
Are the 2.4 Spectrum radios affected by the metal? Theses newer radios are all new to me..Thanks for all your replies and help...Mike

SnakeBT6

My Feedback: (3)

I ordered Aero Foil and got it right away..It takes a little to get used to..It looks and reacts the same as FM when installed as far as weathering and scuffing etc... Ive got both AF and FM installed on the same plane and youd never know the difference..(the chin and wing root are AF)

The reason I had to go to the AF was that I wasnt able to get more FM and got no response fron the vendor..Some guys seem to have better luck then others..

They each have their own nuances, and the more you work with either one, the better you get with it...Im pleased with the end result of using both.

picard1

My Feedback: (2)

Just tried a goggle search for Aero Foil and came up short. Anyone have a link?

Thanks

ram3500-RCU

My Feedback: (221)

We had a very similar experience with FM. Ordered it first, waited a loooong time to get it, came up way short, then couldn't get more. Ordered AF, and had it the same week. Also, it was 12" and cheaper. What is not to love?

ram3500-RCU

My Feedback: (221)

Here.

www.aero-accessories.com/Builders.html