covering
 

I am building an astro hog and I am contemplating fabric and dope for covering. I have a supertigre .61 engine for it and I am wondering if this is a good choice ? How much weight for this vs. monokote?

rkliemann

RE: covering
 

Go with Solartex.

Dr.1

RE: covering
 

Ditto DR1

papermache

RE: covering
 

I really like Sig Koverall. A pleasure to use, seals in three coats, and you can get a nice finish at a weight comparable to Monocoat--maybe a little heavier but not significantly. When you're done there are no seams to lift or collect grime--the whole plane is practically welded together by it.

Polyspan is tough and much lighter than Koverall, and also seals quickly and works nicely. I use it on smaller models where weight is more of an issue. It's a little more work on compound curves, but you can do it by heating and stretching.

The iron-on fabrics like Solartex are nice too, but you'll still need to spray on some kind of coating to keep the weave from gathering oil and crud. I'd rather use Koverall, put on a few more coats and get the better looks of a dope finish. Your Hog deserves it! Probably also a bit lighter than Solartex, depending on how much dope you use.

If you're looking for the good ole clear doped translucent silk look, do a search on Thai Silks. Cheap, strong, light, and beautiful, but there are things you need to do right to get it to work. Koverall or Polyspan are much easier if you are going to paint the whole thing with colored dope.

But any of these will look far better than Monocoat and I'm sure you'll be pleased with whichever you choose. The Astro Hog is a beautiful design and I'm glad you're not going to wrap it in plastic.

Jim

RE: covering
 

One point that Jim didn't make was that Koverall is stronger than any of the plastics.It actuall makes the structure stronger. It is tough and if you do hole it, it is easy to patch. I love the stuff. It shrinks tight and I have never had it droop or sag. I dope mine on but you can use the heat activeted glue that Sig sells. They call their version Stickit, but Balsarite or Balsaloc works too. There are several good threads here that will help you get started.