ORIGINAL: dhal22
ORIGINAL: flyncajun
It`s not possible to finish with glass and paint as light or lighter than film covering ,just cant be done with a quality outcome.
However, if the build is properly planed you can get a light finish only,By building lighter and taking advantage of the glass strength
you can achieve maybe 40 grams increase on wings and 100 grams on the fuse over film.There is about a 10 0z difference on a pattern size plane total ,glass paint/vs plastic film.
You have to remember it takes Years of mastery to properly plan, and build for durability , quality ,with a light airframe outcome to make it possible.
Just putting the glass on a wing is the same weight as film,now you have primer,panit and possibly clear.
Using Dope, Tissue ,silk span ect. is light, might be doable by the pro`s like Matt k. and maybe Dean Pappas, but it`s not very durable, you have to also be a master at taking care of it as well.Then, You have to be very carfull to make a season without the need for a refurbish.
If your not trying to meet a weight goal use Mike`s technique it`s good!. but if you are trying to save weight,, you won`t.
Bryan
monocote is 1.75 - 2.25 oz per sq yd i think. glass can be bought as light as .50 oz per sq yd.
Dave,
I am not sure what your point is with your statement. You are saying that one can buy very light glass cloth, which is true....are you also implying that one can finish a surface lighter than monokote using this glass?
The key problem with glass is lay down and weave fill to eliminate telegraphing of the weave. It takes thickness to do that. That's what Bryan is alluding to. Thickness =weight and in the end the weight per square yard of a glassed surface to Bryan's standard, finished, is a heavier surface. The other thing about glass cloth is that over time, the dope, epoxy or other material used to apply it, will shrink just enough and the weave will telegraph through. Many don't care about that but I think Bryan does. His finishes are that impeccable
Silkspan and dope technique is lighter than monokote. Carbon veil and dope even lighter and much stiffer. But both of these techniques require lots of experience (read that many errors along the way) to make it come out properly. Silkspan has no weave to fill per se and makes for a great surface to paint. Carbon veil on the other hand is wide open and needs filling but is also very thin. Thin = light
BUT, very thin is not ding resistant. It doesn't much matter how you get thin, (glass, carbon, silkspan, Jap tissue) it won't be ding resistant. If that kind of resistance is what one is after, then the best bet is monokote.
Personally I abhor plastic films on pattern planes. Love plastic film on my grandson's trainer
MattK