Hello,
Just opened up my first plane,Nexstar ARF, and noticed bubbles in the monokote on the elevator. Should I care? Is this something that (unfortunately) is expected? Should I let Hobbico know, should I try to fix it, or should I just not worry about it?
Thanks.

Your friend,
Garfield

Bubbles in ARF covering are a fact of life. The planes are covered on the other side of the planet in different temperature and humidity conditions, travel across the pacific on a boat, sit in a warehouse somewhere in the US then finally get shipped to you. During that time wood shrinks, expands and all sorts of stuff resulting in loosened covering. If the bubbles aren't too bad, you could just ignore them. It's a trainer after all and is likely to get a few bumps & bruises anyhow. If they are really bad though you'll have to remove them with a covering iron. Unfortunately the Nexstar doesn't use genuine Monokote or Ultracoat. It's some sort of generic stuff so you'll have to be careful with the iron until you determine how it will behave. Start with a low temperature and sneak up on it until the covering begins to shrink. Just lightly rub over the bubble without pressing down until it is gone. Then push on the area with the iron to adhere the covering to the wood. For stubborn bubbles, poke them with the tip of a sharp #11 blade to let the air escape. Don't be surprised if a few new bubbles appear as summer time sun and temperatures arrive. Also be careful around the decals, the generally don't take heat well. Hope this helps.

Have fun with your first plane and welcome to a very addicting and satisfying hobby.

Thanks Chuck, it does help