ORIGINAL: twn
When it comes to glassing with .5 and .75 oz cloth I peronally don't think that it adds strength like people think. I had some .5oz cloth left laying around, trim ends from my p47 that I glassed. These trim ends were the ends cut off after using zpoxy. I was EASILY able to tear these zpoxied pieces in half with only my hands just like ripping paper in half. I don't think strength is attained untill a person uses 1.5 oz cloth or greater. Of course this is too heavy for glasing entire surfaces...
.5 and .75 oz cloth is great for doing scale paint jobs that won't crack from usage but thats it... I bet that covering like monokote is actually stronger. Just try to tear clean cut monokote with your fingers without staring the cut with a knife or sizzors. lol try it!
Also dents and dings in glassed surfaces usually result in actual punctures where that fiberglass has received a hit like a hole puch and the glass tears easily even with the lightest wack. Covering doesn't do this it only dents and doesn't always tear through. Most blunt dings on normal covering result in a minor depression...
My experience is that a glassed (.6 and .75 oz) finish is stonger (read that as lasts longer) than plastic when it comes to fuselages. A balsa fuse w/o open framework that's been glassed holds up to vibration over time better than a similar plastic covered fuse. Less likely to get fuel soaked too as there is never a peeled-up edge. I've also found the glassed/painted/cleared finish is more resistant to handling dents and dings. Sure- plastic is easier to fix, but all of my glass/painted fuses have lasted longer than similar/same constuction covered in plastic.