OK Boys this will be my first kit. I only fly GS aerobatics (40% Extra) but I have a G26 laying around and I decided I wanted a scale plane for it, so I can fly it in cross-countries, and basically during the week on afternoons when I don't feel like transporting the 40% and assembling/disassembling just for a couple flights.

I have a pretty good wood-working ability and have enough knowledge to build one of these, but whatever hints, tips or guidance you guys can give me would be sweet!!

Here are a couple questions..

1) Covering: I don't have a clue how to cover the back of the fuse where the rudder starts.

2) Covering: I want the plane to look nice but I don't want to spend so much money on Coverite fabric. Can I just use regular monokote, then sand and spray some satin clear coat so it kinda looks like fabric?

3) Cowling is ABS plastic, how are you guys painting it?

This and any other help will be greatly appreciated!

Vic

Hi Vic

I have the Sig 1/6 J3 cub and I am covering it in Solartex - which is an iron on woven film and is available in "Cub Yellow" and has a matching paint (Solarlac) to spray the ABS cowl with. Solartex is really easy to work with in my opinion more so than monocote and should be readily available.

Try the link to a thread which describes the covering method(s) for the fuselage around the rudder.

[link]http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_2354114/anchors_2354114/mpage_1/key_solartex%252Capplication/anchor/tm.htm#2354114[/link]

Good luck with the build

Andrew

Vic,
The Sig 1/4 scale Cub was my first build as well, about 20 years ago. I built it on the living room floor. I had no building experence, and no flying experence. I was not even a member of a club. I found the directions covered every aspect of the build. I too was conserned with the tail to fus of the covering but when I attempted it I found it did exactly as the plans booklet said it would.

So I am saying, read the directions several times befor beginning the build. If you need help still Ask and we shall try to help.

You could use monokote but a fabric covering would be so much easier to deal with on this model. Expecialy in the tail area you mentioned. Plus by the time you add up the cost of the paint to the monokote you might just find you could have gotten the fabric for the same price or less. Not to mention the hassel of the extra steps of painting, sanding, painting.

There are plenty of cub yellow paints out there. Just use 400 or finer emory cloth to ruff up the cowl and spray. I would suggest though to put a layer of the .5 glass cloth inside the cowl to add strength. I do this for all my ABS cowls now after a respected modlers told me to. Sure beats the price of after market fiberglass cowls.
Sharpeye

Good info guys. Appreciate it.

OK so I have decided that I am going to cover the plane with dope and Koverall. Then paint. (thining about rib stitching but don't want to get too detail-ish with it). Maybe later, LOL.

Questions:

Koverall: Tower's site says this is a 48' by 5 YD. Does this mean it's 5 yards by 48 inches ( 4' x 15')?
About how many packs of Koverall will I need for this cub?

As far as I understand, stix-it works by laying a coat on, then ironing down the koverall like usual monokote. Dope gives me time to shuffle the fabric around till its tight. Am I right? If so, then dope is a little more trouble-free, right?

SCALE NOOB HERE!!

Thanks for the help guys!

It's a shame that you can't get the spray cans of the Coverite paint to match Coverite's 21st Century Fabric anymore as it's the easiest to apply iron on covering I've ever used. This old Citabria was covered about 5 year ago with the stuff and it still looks great but I did use their matching paint for the cowl and pants! Something to consider if you can find/aquire the matching paint for your cowl and hard parts.

Vic3D

You are correct about the size. Either the dope or the Stix It work great. This stuff is nothing like any other covering that you may have used. It will stretch all wrinkles out on install and moving it around is not a problem with Stix or dope. Koverall will shrink a lot more than plastic coverings, so pay attention to the instructions not to use a air gun, just your normal iron will shrink it just fine.

I am finishing up a cub and have gone to Koverall applied with a latex liquid cememt called Mod Podge avaialble at Micheal's craft stores. Thin this product with water and seal the airframe, attatch fabric and fill fabric weave with two coats. No fabric sanding execpt along the cut lines of the fabric to remove fuzz just before painting. Painting with latex paints of course.

I used to use the Silk and Dope method years ago and then went to the Tex's. So Koverall or Tex on planes larger than .40's for me, .40 and under I use the Monocoat or other plastic (punishment) for building the under .40 planes.


For the Dr1 amd Bristol I used Solartex from BUSA painted with acrylic latex and sealed with oil based polyurethane for the yellowing weather effect. I am now just about ready to paint the Cub and plan on building a paint booth out of plastic sheet this winter to paint in. Should be ready to fly come spring. Best of luck with the Koverall.

bps, great help. Thanks!!

So if I use stix-it, I will still be able to shuffle the koverall around till it's wrinkle-free?

Vic

I will be doing a build thread so you guys can chime in and give me your opinion. Picking up the kit on Friday at my LHS.

Vic

Nothing like a quarter scale "Cub" build during "building season" to keep the juices flowing!

The Stix It is heat activated. You paint the Stix It around the perimeter of the area to be covered and let it dry, it drys very rapidly. Then place the Koverall cut oversize over the area and tack in place with your iron set on low. Experiment here as it does not take much heat to activate the adhesive and attatch the fabric, you want just enough heat to do that. Any more heat will begin to shrink the Koverall and you do not want to do that. You can move the fabric around by reaheating the area and sticking it back down just like you would any other adhesive backed covering. When you overlap fabric you will need to add more Stix It on top of the fabric that is being overlaped.

One thing I suggest is to seal the airframe using your choice of balsa sealer. One coat, light sanding and then another coat. I like the latex stuff (Mod Podge p/n CS11302 from Michaels Craft Store) because I can no longer tolerate dope, just to strong for me. Koverall is not as easy as the Tex's, but once you get a system going it is not that difficult and you will be rewarded with an awsume finish that refuses to do the Monocoat wrinkle.

Here is a picture of my work along with the vertical covering that I did in three pieces, top, left stab and right stab.

Thanks guys! All this really helps!