A recent thread in the Beginner's forurm [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_8521398/tm.htm]here[/link] on how to plan for covering got me thinking. Whenever I cover it seems to take FOREVER to get through the multi-element patterns. Now I am certian it's mostly technique, but as I thought about that, I ran across [link=http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXTEU9&P=ML]this[/link] plane over at Tower. This is the Reactor Bipe and its an ARF. I like this pattern and began wondering how the ARF manufactures streamline the covering process. Outside of sheer repetition, there must be some technique involved too. Do they first cover the entire plane in White, then add the multiple colors on top of a fully covered plane (or assembly)? Is that the most efficient way to apply covering? Just curious...what do you guys think/know?

-MA

You will usually cover the entire plane with your base color and then apply your trim colors on top. Doing a job like you have found is time consuming if you want a good looking plane, but they are well worth the effort. A lot of the ARFs use a stick on kind of covering which would make it easier to apply. I prefer the Windex method for my trim pieces which once applied takes about 24 hours to cure. RCU moderator Minnflyer has a video that you can watch that will give you most all the basics and a good start on covering. Good Luck, Dave

Thanks David. I have used the windex method myself - great technique. Clearly the ARF manufacturers don't use that method, and as you indicate some use the sticky back covering. I believe the plane referenced above uses Monocote, so they must be doing something to reduce air bubbles between the layers. Any idea on how they build those intricate patterns, yet do it fast, and with a high degree of quality?

Again, just wondering out loud...

-MA

I'm sure there are templates for each of the intricate details so that they are cut perfect every time. This would make it lay exact and decrease the chance of bubbles, and like you said repetition. If you covered 3-4 planes every day you would get really really good at it.

I've owned two ARFs, one a Lanair Explorer 40 and the other a Phoenix FunStar.

The Explorer used the sticky back covering for all trim, over an unknown base. The Funstar was covered in a yellow transparent covering like Monokote. All of the trim was sticky back and given to you on a sheet so you could apply them. After three white knuckle flights that the Funstar, I decided the covering had to go. When I was skinning the old covering off, I found the stock covering to have been very precisely placed. Covering that was put on and wrapped over an edge, had a very preseise trim, on the order of 3/32" wide. This was for the whole plane. There was no indication on the wood that this covering had been trimmed in place. My guess is that it was CNC cut and CNC placed. The tolerance was just to tight for it to have been a manual production line job.


Don

Don - yeah, that's kind of what I was wondering ... CNC precision makes sense.

-MA

I just finished covering a wing half from a H-9 Pulse 60 that was covered with Ultracote. Take a look at there pattern. It was cut on a plot cutter or CNC then attached together to form one piece then ironed onto the plane. I had to do it a bit different but when I was finished you couldn't tell the wing was ever recovered. A few years back I had a glass door I used to make up patterns like the ARFs. I would make up templates, cut the covering, then on the glass I would iron the pieces together then warm and lift the sheet and cover the plane. A lot of work when only doing one plane. I don't know for sure how the ARF manufactures do it but I would think it was/is something along those lines. There is also a how to thread in the Tips forum, a sticky, that is well worth looking at to learn how to do advanced patterns and designs with monocote.