Small Fry

Oh boy, it's coming down to the time where I am going to cover soon. Though it's still a little bit down the road, I am already starting to get nervous about how well it'll fly. Since I am new I'll have an instructor there to help, but all I need is to hear "son, you better go home, take this apart and build it again" lol, I'm sure I wont hear it, but eh, I'm still nervous about how it'll fly.

flap

If you even think your nervous now! Wait untill your knees start Banging together after takeoff!
Its supposed to be that way, else itd be no fun.

YNOT

No reason to be nervous.

One of the greatest qualities of trainers, is no matter how it is built, it will still fly. Wing warp, vertical stab off center, wing saddle off or the horizontal stab just down right wrong, it will still fly. Thats why they are trainers.

My first plane I built myself, a Sig Scamp, wasn't even close. Built two right sides of the plane and the vertical and horizontal stabs were not even close to straight. It flew well.

Trainers are designed to do two things. 1) Teach you how to build/cover/set up. 2) Fly.

Covering? Just get the stuff on. If it does not look great, thats OK, just put some stickers on it and make it look cool.

Have fun.

rajul

My Feedback: (58)

Try practicing covering on scrap balsa or scrap wing first. Get a club member to help build/cover and inspect the plane for ya. Then get a good flight instructor as an insurance. So you can see that human relations is important in r/c.....

lownslo

Hello Small Fry, I built my first kit last winter. I was confident about the building but I found myself constantly worrying about covering.
I did some practice covering on a wing half from my old departed trainer!! If you don't have an old wing maybe someone in your club would have an old wing they would part with. I mention wing... because of the wing tip and wing bays that will be good practice for you. (Flat wood is relativly easy). My one wing half was intact so I just stripped the Monokote from the wing and went at it!!! I tried Monokote and Ultracote. I prefer Ultracote. I found both about the same for the base layer. BUT.. I found, any designs you put on with Monokote will probably give you a lot of bubble problems. At least mine did. The second layer, (design), using UC went on with a minumum of bubbles. No matter what you use always be aware of your heat. Follow heat recomendations of your covering choice. Invest in a pocket thermometer for about $5.00
http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXB352&P=7
It is a bit of a pain..... but you need to know what temperature your iron is. I made a stand for my iron. I used a scrap piece of 1/2" plywood and some heavy wire. I bent the wire in a flat "U", and inserted it UP SIDE DOWN, in a couple holes drilled in the board. I set the height of the wire so the iron will sit level with the working surface UP. Just lay the pocket thermometer on the iron. While you cut your next piece of covering...... keep an eye on the temperature, and adjust as necessary.
Good luck........lownslo

Goinstraightup

My Feedback: (26)

Everything will be fine. You've gone down the right road by having an instructor. lownslo is right on about the Ultracote. It works a lot better than Monocote for a lot of reasons.

I know it is your pride and joy now, but after a few months of flying it will have a few dings in it and you will be getting bolder with your flying. Soon you will not care and you will be beating the tar out of it with some wild flying. This is when the real fun begins. When you are not afraid to ding it a little, it's a lot more fun to fly it.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

You took the words roght outta my mouth Flap! LOL

Don't worry SmallFry, you'll do fine! This ain't rocket science.

PigMan Buggerus

My Feedback: (6)

It's just Aeronautical Engineering.

LOL

pinball-RCU

Don't spend a lot of time getting the covering to look great. I know you probably have great pride in your work, and you want it to look fantastic at the club and all, but really, it's just a trainer, and it's more important that you are relaxed flying it.

My recommendation for a first kit: Cover the entire model with the same color (monokote or Ultracote, doesn't matter, whatever's cheaper). Then you don't have to worry about seams. Just concentrate on making sure everything is covered. Then, use self-adhesive trim strips to put enough pattern on the bottom of the wing so you can tell the top from the bottom way out in the air. On my pizza-box flyer, I just put two big "O" on the bottom, and they were really easy to see. A big checkerboard would would work as well. Don't worry about bubbles. Go fly.

RCaeroguy

My Feedback: (4)

I think the nervousness and shaking is what got me hooked. Who needs drugs or alcohol? This sport is the greatest rush in the world.
If you're worried about the plane before covering, take it to someone with build experience to check it out. They may recommend something that would be impossible to do without cutting into the covering.

Homebrewer

My Feedback: (8)

Don't worry about the covering for a first time trainer. Before long, it'll have additional covering in the form of duct tape, scotch tape, and bumper stickers. Don't ask me how this transformation occurs to trainers, its just occurs spontaneously!

Old Mill

Duct tape, ahh my friend. My RCM trainer is about 50% duct tape covered now, think I should skip the monokote altogether and just cover my new 90 inch wingspan cub with tape now? Would avoid some pains later.

Mill

Goinstraightup

My Feedback: (26)

I think I'd rather have my plane covered with Duct Tape than that shelf paper crapola that comes on the cheap ARF's.......

Small Fry

well, the mechanics of it dont bother me at all, as I WAS in aeronautical engineering for a year, and have since gone to civil engineering.
I've been in a lot of different situations where nerves are tested (in athletics though), but I'm just worried that once it gets off the ground a LITTLE bit, it'll cartwheel... NOT a good way to start off.
But I'll be fine, I'm sure, just a little bit nervous about the whole thing right now.

Thanks for the replies and the words of encouragment!

Ben

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

You're a civil engineer?

How, exactly does one build a civil?

rc_boy_12

My Feedback: (2)

All i can say is just HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!!

Small Fry

haha Minn, you raise an excellent point. I have no idea how to engineer a civil. Maybe I'll just go into teaching. lol

William Robison

My Feedback: (3)

Small Fry:

Hope you have many safe and successful flights with your new toy.

But on the other question: Aren't civil engineers the ones who work their way down?

Use plastic and fly today.
. Just remember: Tomorrow you pay.

Bill.

Jester

No, you don't get it. We're civil. Well at least we're supposed to be. That is until someone starts telling civil engineer jokes.

Civil Engineering is the second oldest profession.

William Robison

My Feedback: (3)

Oldest PROFESSION ?
Jester
Wrong. The women were still on amateur status then.

But some civil engineers DO work their way up - they were born in the excavation.

Keep your head on a swivel,
.If you're an engineer, civil.
Remember things fall down,
. And tend to bounce around.

Haw! Twice.

Bill.

mattebox

Sorry, I couldn't resist...

"Three engineering students were gathered together discussing the possible designers of the human body. One said, "It was a mechanical engineer. Just look at all the joints." Another said, "No, it was an electrical engineer. The nervous system has many thousands of electrical connections." The last said, "Actually it was a civil engineer. Who else would run a toxic waste pipeline through a recreational area?"

Another one...

"What is the difference between Mechanical Engineers and Civil Engineers? Mechanical Engineers build weapons, Civil Engineers build targets."

That last one is so true!!! Haha. Just giving you civils a hard time.

Small Fry

mattebox

Al right all right, I'm the one that stirred the hornets nest up, and I dont even know how to reply to this! lol whoa, I, I'm just at a total loss for words lol.