I am the proud owner of a Hobbico Hobbistar 60 Select Mk III. Put it together today with a few mods, epoxied the tail and vertical fin (Wd40 on the screw in pegs helps BTW) and epoxied the wings together (they did not match up, had to sand and place fiberglass in the aft end between the spars to get it tight). My question is the bubbling in the covering. The manual says to use an iron, but that didn't work, even tried my tower hobbies blow dryer with limited success. Before my model gets covered in engine grime and dirt, how do you get rid of the bubbles??

Scooter052566........ Try taking a small sewing and while you apply a little heat to the bubble, ***** the bubble with the needle and......."presto" no more bubble. I hope this helps. Bpb

Preferable not to poke holes, however tiny. I'm assuming the bubbles are over the sheeted parts. Try your iron again, and as you heat the covering, work the bubble toward a seam. As the cover heats, so does the trapped air in the bubble, or inside the wing, if you're trying to work bubbles out of the leading edge sheeting. The heated air expands, and the cover doesn't want to lay down and stick because of the pressure. When you get the cover hot enough, use a cloth and press it in place until it is cool. Takes practice, but you should be able to get most of them out.

Not trying to start a thread war, but the plain truth is...........I've been using the needle trick for going on 47 years and I've never had a problem from getting rid of the bubbles this way. As a matter of fact I learned that trick from a monthly column, "Hints & Kinks" that was published for 30-40 years in one of the model magazines. The way you suggested will work somtimes if the bubble is not to far from the edge, or is not a piece of trim.

Bob

I come in peace... but I didn't know that mono-kote plastic model covering was 47 years old their ads say over 20

I stand corrected. I'm not sure which came first.......the chicken or the egg. I think it came out in the late 60's or early 70's. All I know is I don't get high when I use it, the way I did when we used silk, or tissue and dope.

Bob Laine
I am thinking late 60's on the Monocote.. I covered my first plane, a Sterling Fledgling with it... I too have been using the needle trick for years successfully... Seems like it is/was recommended by Top FLight/Monocoate in one of there tip articles...

I stand corrected---didn't really say it was wrong, but if you can work them out without making a hole.... leave that as "plan B".

More then one way to skin a cat that's for sure... The pin holes just seem to disapear.. At least in Monocoate... The problem I run into trying to work out the bubbles is as I heat the covering and try to work the bubbles out the covering starts to look like the wood grain beneath it... Worse then the bubble I was trying to get out ... Maybe there is a trick to it I haven't learned yet...

Just FYI, the pin and a heat gun worked wonders except for the decals. Heated up with a few pinholes and works with a heat gun and smoothed out with an old sock. Now 99% nice and smooth, the decals may have to go, but I am happy with the outcome. One week until I can fly , but will break in the engine Sunday and preten until then.

I too have used the needle solution for years with nothing but success.