G'day

There are several ways you can cover a model in cloth. Silk, glue or dope on cloth like Sig Koverall, and iron on cloth like Solatex.

Silk was very popular in the early days of model aircraft. I have never done it but I have seen examples years ago and they looked great.

Sig Koverall is a relatively cheap cloth which you glue on to an airframe either using a heat sensitive adhesive (Sig Stixit or Solafilm Balasloc). You paint the adhesive on, let it dry then cut pieces of Koverall to fit and iron them on to the airframe with a lowish heat. You then shrink the Koverall with your iron (gently) and then use thinned dope to seal the cloth then paint. It is easy with this method to build a very pretty but very heavy model. You need to go gently on the paint.

Solatex is made in the UK but the same company that makes Solafilm. It is available in the US from, among others, Balsa USA. It is my favoutite. It is a cloth with a heat sensitive adhesive on its back covered by a protective plastic sheet. It is painted with fuel proof epoxy based paint. It does not need to be painted but it may be painted if you wish. I have a Sig Kadet Senior which is covered in Cub Yellow and which I gave a coat of clear polyurethane from a spray can. The model is now about 9 years old and still looks good.

Solatex is particularly easy to apply. It needs only low to moderate heat to attach and shrink from your iron. It is also great for stretching around compound curves. Just bore some heat in and pull the cloth to stretch it. Unlike films, it does not stick to your iron and is very smooth to iron. I am sure there are other similar cloth coverings but this is the only iron on one I have seen here in Australia.

I use Solatex on all models I wish to keep for a while. It is not cheap and here is not quite twice the price of Monocote but it lasts and lasts, looks good and is easy to apply.

Have fun.

Mike in Oz