I am covering the top side of my wings this weekend, the pattern I have chosen has a couple of curved seams that pass over open bays in the wing. I do have a large piece of glass to work on so I could lay out the wing panel and iron the seams together before laying it on the wing. This approach has been suggested by several people, and I think I found instructions for this on the "Monokote" web site somewhere before, although I can't find it now.

My question is, if you use this method, how doe you shrink the covering once you have it on the wing? Won't the seam lines get distorted? How do you keep the seams from separating?

OK
I usually overlap my seems about 1/4" to 3/8" as I make a skin.
( is what I call a section of mylar film covering that I have welded together on glass) I use my trim iron to weld the seems together. When i apply it to the wing I have just done it exactly as I have with a solid piece of film and have had no trouble with the seems opening. You have covered the bottem of the wing first I assume? The seems stay just as you have welded them. Now I don"t mean you pour on the heat either. I use my iron for the tack down arround the edges as I pull it on tight. Then I use my heat gun. over and Over again. If you would like to see one of my planes that I did a Skin on, it is a Sumpthin Extra I can send you a picture.

The DiBO

Sure Dennis! Let's have a look.

I've had no problem doing the solid colours on my plane, but the patterned bits are driving me buggy!