photoniq

hi folks - I was just wondering why people fibreglass their planes rather than just using the usual monokote stuff. Is it for extra strength or looks or what?
P.

N8theSk8

The glass does provide more strength, but the two reasons is to give paint a surface to stick to and second is to fuel proof surface so that the wood does not soak up the fuel sprayed from the engine exhaust causing the wood will become weak. if you just painted the wood, the wood would just soak it up and would not give you the desired finish. The paint that has been commonly used in the is an epoxy style paint, that is fuel proof and it attaches really well to the fiberglass cloth. But since gas engines are popular people are using latex house paint. I may not be totally correct but that has been my observation. I hope this helps.

photoniq

why dont they just use fuelproof skins like monokote and cut out the patterns they want?

N8theSk8

a couple of reasons

1. you don't get the scale look. it is also harder to "weather and detail the film". by painting it you can put tape down for the panel lines and the coats of paint will build up so when you run hand accros it you can feel the panel lines. Camo scehmes are also easier to paint than film especially german schemes. you also get a wider array of colors than film.

2. personal preference.

irussel

When building a large scale WW1 or WW2 bird, monokote doesn't exactly give you a scale looking finish. Some will cover in fabric and paint over that, but many large models need the durability of a fiberglass surface.

Check out this link for details on building/finishing a 1/5.5 scale Dauntless...amazing detail.
[link=http://www.renderwurx.com/rc/SBD/index.htm]http://www.renderwurx.com/rc/SBD/index.htm[/link]

ptulmer

My Feedback: (5)

Paint will look better. No seams. better finish. ALOT more time and work involved.

Montague

Also, the plastic films just don't come in enough colors. With paint, you can mix and match your own.

Painting is actually easier than you think. If you want a perfect finish, then it's really hard, but if you want a good looking serviceable finish, it's actually pretty easy.

I did this plane with an airbrush (my first attempt at airbrushing, btw). Paint is latex from the hardware store custom mixed to a picture I brought in. After the house paint dried, I gave it a clear cote with Lusterkote clear flat, which makes it fuel proof and gives it a good military "flat" look.

Oh, and in this case, I didn't paint fiberglass, I first covered the plane in clear Ultrakote, scuffed it with some sandpaper and painted the Ultrakote.

As for why fiberglass, when done right, it's light, strong, and a heck of a lot easier to get odd compound shapes from. So shapes and details that would be hard to build in wood and cover in plastic are actually pretty easy to mold out of cloth and resin.

On wings, if you have a foam wing, you generally want some kind of skin that can carry a lot of load. You can sheet it with wood, but if you can vacume bag, a glass/composite skin is lighter, stronger, and faster to apply. It's no accident that the top gliders aren't made from wood with heat-shrink covering.

Montague

Oh, and I forgot. Some guys do it just because they can, and they enjoy it, and it makes the plane stand out at the field.

Also, painted fiberglass holds up to wear and tear better in the long run, and is more hanger-rash resistant.

Dsegal

What is the material your nice model is constructed of? And where do you do the spraying of the latex- out of doors?

photoniq

Cool - thanks for all the replies guys. I can see that I had better get saving up for that airbrush and had better start reading up on fibreglassing and spray painting. I too one day want to build a scale ww2 warbird - a zero to be precise.

Cheers,
P

Live Wire

Realizium, Scale, strenght, and detail. And you have some room to play with weight. And the sence of accomplishment when you have the finished plane. PRIDE AND JOY!!!!!!!

SENZA

MAN i would be afraid to fly it after all those hours building it

Live Wire

If they were not put in the air where would we be . DON'T fall in love with your model unless 40-24-36 MY God what have I done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Why do people glass their plane?

Try doing THIS with covering!

CafeenMan

Fiberglass and paint is superior to film coverings. Some people will tell you that paint is heavier, but what they're really telling you is that they don't know how to paint. A properly applied paint job won't be significantly heavier than Monokote. By that I mean maybe a 2 ounce difference on a .60 plane.

People use film because it's easier than learning how to apply paint properly. Once you do learn how to put it on properly, you learn that it's a lot of prep work. Painting is easy and only takes a few minutes. Prepping for paint starts when you begin building. When you're done building, you might spend as much time as spent building doing the rest of the prep work and applying the finish coats.

ptulmer

My Feedback: (5)

Why do people use monokote? So they don't lay down on the ground and weep when they crash! My theory is monokote for my frequent fliers and glass for the keepers. Maybe when I'm better at flying these things I'll move to all glass and paint. Fiberglassing and paint does require a high skill level not required for plastic coverings.
CafeenMan has a very good series on glassing that has been a tremendous help to me. Thanks Dude! (check his website for more)

CafeenMan

ptulmer - I agree with how you choose what to paint and what not to. I still like to paint fuselages even when I use monokote on wings. It just holds up better - especially around the nose of the plane where there's the most oil.

and you're welcome.

- Paul

Montague

That plane is mostly foam. Foam fuse and wings with a plastic crutch in the fuse and fiberglass rod spars in the wing.

I actually sprayed the paint in my basement. The airbrush produces very little overspray or "fogging", so the room actually smelt less of paint than it did when I painted the walls. That's one of the reasons I went for house paint, I can use it indoors with out having a spray booth and expensive breathing devices.