I am almost ready to cover my LT-40. What is a better covering, fabric or plastic? Will the fabric add weight?

Thanks!

Elwood

It's pretty much just a matter of looks. Do you want the fabric look, or a nice glossy finish? I tend to leave the fabrics for the scale models (IE Piper CUB, Citabria, etc.). And IMHO Ultracote is the way to go. It goes on easy, Its very forgiving, shrinks like a SOB, and it has a paper backing that comes in handy for drawing your designs before you cut them out! (Just remember to draw them backwards!)

What about the difference in strength and weight, if any?

Weight is minimal, (although I think the fabric weighs slightly more) And if you're depending on your covering to add strength to your plane, you'd better go back and add a little more balsa wood! While the covering does add some extra strength, one type isn't going to make a difference over another.

Thanks for the info!

I was referring to the strength of the 2 types of covering, not how they would affect the plane. What would be better off with a close encounter with a stick or twig on the runway?

You will find that the fabrics (Solartex, Worldtex, Colortex etc.) are much more resistant to punctures and dings. They (the fabrics) are much easier to apply than the films as well. Their one drawback is that the weave does tend to collect dirt and grime more than the plastics. They are hard to clean unless you give them a clearcoat to some kind. I prefer the fabrics over the films for all but the smallest models as the fabrics do tend to weigh a bit more than the films. On a .40 size plane or larger, this weight difference is negligable though. You will find the fabrics go around compound curves much better than the plastics do and they stick to themselves much better at the seams and overlaps. I don't know if all fabrics do or not but Solartex has a much higher heat range that allows good adheasion--i.e. you can put it on with lower temperature irons yet won't hurt it with high heat.