I am looking at using solartex on a couple of new projects and before I buy all the covering I want to make sure I get the finish I am looking for.

The first project is a P47 and I want a dull finish on it. When painting solartex with latex is necessary to spray it or can a good finish be had by brushing it on?

The second project is a piper arrow and I am wanting a glossy finish. Is it possible to get a nice glossy painted finish with solartex?

For the arrow I am considering glassing with wb poly as well. However, I hate spraying paint and the idea of sparying an automotive finish on the arrow to get the nice shinny finish is probably outside of my spraying abilities.

I used Solartex on my BUSA DR.1 and painted with Latex using several types of brushes one of them (black foam one) and airbrush by adding Floetrol to the paint and also water to use in the airbrush. Both methods turned out perfect and no, you could not see any brush marks when I used the foam brush. I really love the way the Solartex and latex work together. Hope that helps!

I believe Solartex is a fabric type covering. I just got done finishing a plane with WorldTex and painting it with Latex paint. I sprayed the paint on with air brushes. As for gloss verse's no gloss, you can get your latex paint in a flat or gloss finish. A latex paint job will need to have a clear coat applied, which also can be bought in flat or gloss. Good Luck, Dave

Dave, I'm sure I haven't tried them all but any of the coverings that said TEX in them I have used are about the same thing. I have just stuck with the Solartex, makes me look real good. The stuff will take any paint you want to use. As to doing a paint job on a glassed plane just go to harbor Freight and buy a cheap HVLP gun and it will make you look great too. If you have the money go to the Klass Kote site and take a read, great stuff and it thins to about 50/50 so it goes a long way. Bullet proof stuff!!! Just cost too much!!

Hey,

I'm finishing a Top Flite Elder 40 and will be using colored Solartex for covering.
This is my first time I use the Tex-stuff.

I understand you need to fuelproof. Can this be done by using a Latex clear coat?
How many coats should I apply?

Thanks,
Phil

You don't have to fuel proof Solartex, but it will be difficult to clean fuel residue off if you don't clear coat it. I used latex for the orange on this Aeronca covered with Worldtex (same stuff), then clear coated with Nelson Hobby's water-based paint with cross-linker to make it fuel proof. Good luck, Dzl

Super Coverite is Fabric with a smooth finish http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...rite&search=Go

Super Coverite is no longer available and it did not have a smooth finish, it had a fabric finish.

I recently did a civilian plane in solartex. Nice stuff but I used white and just leaning it against a wall before painting it got dirty! I shot automotive lacquer mainly because I liked the color. It required many coats to get the color on the top of the can and was NOT fuel proof. After experimenting with several clears I finally sprayed it with TopFlite Lustrekote. Lustrekote has a bad reputation, probably deserved. My experience was that the paint was quite good. I used both gloss and semigloss and was impressed with the consistency of shine. However the can, or more specifically the cheap nozzle, was the thing that caused the problems. If you decant into a cup it would give better control and probably work better. It was fuelproof, just not foolproof.

Thinking about using Cub yellow Solartex and clear-coating it. Is there anything
that comes in a spray can I can use?

The Nelson Hobby clear coat goes on with a foam brush. It works "as advertised." I used three coats on the Aeronca in my previous post. You can recoat almost as soon as you've finished with the previous coat. Dries fast. Good luck, Dzl