Did they change this stuff or what. I have the large GP RV-4 which states that it is covered in TOP FLITE Monokote, but the white does not match at all, and the clear outer surface seperates from the pigment backing. The edges lifted in a few area's. After looking at it closely the clear is deffinately seperating from the pigment colored glue. Infact the black was like that out of the box on fellow modler in my clubs RV-4. We carefully ironed it back down.[X(][X(] Howe the hell do they get away with advertising that it is covered with TOP FLITE MONOKOTE.[:@][:@] This also does bot shrink like the many rolls of monokote I have in the basement.

The matching is not the a big deal (different lot numbers) but the fact that it delaminates is what is really bothering me. My friend's RV's big black stripe on the side had about four inches of the clear hanging loose out of the box. I caredully ironed it back onto the pigment backing for him. My plane is starting to have issues with edges. So far I have been able to re iron it back to the pigment, but this is supposed to be TOP FLITE MONOKOTE and it appears not to be.[:-][:-][:-][:-][:

THERE IS NO FUEL THAT CONTACTS THE AREA'S I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH, AND YES ALL OF THE COVERING WAS SEALED DOWN DURING ASSEMBLY.

I have the same problem, I had to patch a hole on my Revolver. The white isnt even a close match.

................

Is't is false advertising to say that it is TOP FLITE MONOKOTE if it is indeed not. That or they really changed the formula for the worst. I will not buy any more arfs from GP if that is the case.[>:]

[quote]ORIGINAL: MOTORMAN37

No other industry would get away with that.

I accidentally put a hole in the wing of my GP Super Sportster ARF. The white Monokote I had on hand matched perfectly in color, texture and sheen. I have no problem with it at all. My Venus .40 looked like a prune rather than an airplane because of the wrinkles but my Revolver ARF was nearly flawless right out of the box.

I have many rolls of Monokote in my basement, and have used it for over 30 years. I have never seen the covering seperate like this. I first noticed it right out of the box when I removed the little tape strips from the wing and ailerons, and it lifted the clear with it.

[quote]ORIGINAL: MOTORMAN37

Were is Bax now. I would like to hear the excuse for this happening.

[quote]ORIGINAL: MOTORMAN37

Not trying to change the subject here, but does Ultracote have the same problems with color match that Monokote has? I have been seeing more and more threads regarding complaints about Monokote.

...............

I have just put a G.P Venus 40 togeather and the tailplane was wrinkled to I got the heat gun on it to shrink it back Monocote style. The stuff aint monocote! it seperates and does not shrink much at all. But, this is the second Venus 40 I have built and the first one WAS monocote.

J

FEATURES: Construction: Balsa and ply
Wings: Prebuilt halves slide onto aluminum joiner and bolt to
fuselage
Covering: Covered in Top Flite MonoKote, see COMMENTS for colors
Radio Compartment: Accessible from removable hatch-also alllows
access to wing bolts
Cowling: Painted and constructed of fiberglass
Canopy: Clear plastic
Wheel Pants: Painted and constructed of fiberglass
Landing Gear: Pre-bent aluminum .16" (4mm) thick, .04" (1mm)
diameter tailwheel wire
Wheels: Main, 3.5" (89mm) diameter foam
Tailwheel, 1" (26mm) hard rubber
Engine Mount: Two-piece conposite construction
Fuel Tank: 14.2oz (420cc)
Spinner: Aluminum 3.25" (83mm) diameter
Aileron Control: Dual servo
Flap Control: Dual servo
Warranty: Great Planes Model Manufacturing Company guarantees this
kit free from defects in both materials and workmanship at
the date of purchase.
Building Time: Ready to fly in approximately 20 hours

INCLUDES: Pre-built and covered wings, fuselage and tail assemblies, pushrods,
pre-bent .16" (4mm) main landing gear, .04" (1mm) tailwheel wire,
main wheels, tailwheel, engine mount, fuel tank, decals, hardware
package and photo-illustrated instructions

REQUIRES: Glow Power-
Engine: .61 - .75 cu in (10 - 12.2 cc) 2-stroke, or .91 cu in (15cc)
4-stroke
Propeller: 16x6
Muffler: Supplied with engine
Misc. Items: ¼" foam rubber padding, medium fuel tubing,
fuel filter, propeller, building and field equipment.

OR Electric Power-
Propeller: APC 16x8E
C50-65-450 RimFire Brushless Outrunner Electric Motor (GPMG4770)
Electric Motor Mount: Brushless, large (GPMG1260)
Speed Control: GPMM1860
Battery: Two 6S1P 11.1V 3200mAh (GPMP0623)
Battery Charger: LiPo compatible

Radio: 5-Channel
Servos: 7 (2 flaps, 2 ailerons, 1 throttle, 1 elevator, 1 rudder)
Receiver Battery: 4.8V, at least 500mAh
Servo Extension: 12" (300mm) (HCAM2711)
Y-Harnesses: Two (HCAM2751)

SPECS: Wingspan: 70" (1780mm)
Wing Area: 1036 sq in (67 sq dm)
Weight: 9-1/2 - 10-1/2lb (4310 - 4762g)
Wing Loading: 21 - 23 oz/sq ft (64 -70 g/sq dm)
Length: 63" (1600mm)
Airfoil: Semi symmetrical
Center of Gravity: 4-3/8" (111mm) Back from the wing's leading edge
at the fuselage
Control Throws- High Rate Low Rate
Elevator: Up & Down 1" (25mm) 5/8" (16mm)
Rudder: Right to Left 2¾" (70mm) 1¾" (44mm)
Ailerons: Up & Down 1½" (38mm) ¾" (19mm)
Flaps: 1-1/8" (28mm)
¾" (19mm)

COMMENTS: Pilot figure not included.
Following are the colors of Top Flite MonoKote used to cover this
model and order numbers for six foot rolls;
White TOPQ0204 Black TOPQ0208
Aluminum TOPQ0205 Metallic Red TOPQ0405

sometime ago i bought a tower hobbies kaos that was advertised being covered in monokote. the factory covering job was terrible. it started coming loose everywhere on the fuse . i had to re-cover the fuse but it was not monokote. it turns out it was the low temp. "towerkote". i ordered two rolls from them and the colors matched the existing covering perfectly. no question it was covered in towerkote. towerkote is less inexpensive than monokote and it is thinner and has a lot less tensile strength than monokote and colors do not match.........funny thing,....prior to me buying the new towerkote i had called tower about it. nobody there knew what it was covered with!!!.....they told me to call the 'hobbico"branch.. one of their service techs told me he " thought" it was covered in towerkote....but was not sure
i wonder why its called a "tower hobbies kaos"

Summerwind,
Good luck with that , he is kinda like a yes sir man to companies. He does there reviews and is not going to point out something like that.

It might be Econokote, which is made by Top Flite as well, and is sold alongside Monokote in Tower's catalogue. Econokote is low temp stuff and not the same quality covering as regular Monokote. Ultracote does the layer seperation stuff badly too for whoever asked up above, that's why I don't use it anymore.

I don't know for sure that this is the case, and I don't have one of the ARFs in question, just a theory as to what they could be calling Monokote, and sort of being true.

I purchased a sig kadet senoir arf, there was a note attached to the book, that they no longer used ultra coat as advertised and now used aerokote for better handling charistics. Worst covering i have ever seen. My last sig arf!!!!!

I just ordered a venus II if it is not monokote it will be returned. I also dont order from world models because of toughlon covering. I recently called chief aircraft about their extra 300 they said it was china coat and made by china models. Looks like kit building this winter.

I'm not sure what all the complaining is about, but whatever my Superstar EP is covered with was done pretty darn well.

And as for TowerKote comments and complaints... I dont know why they use it on their own planes. TowerKote is BEST for foam lol... i dont think i'd ever trust it on my plane.

Back to GP planes with "monokote"...

If you honestly think that its not monokote, then call them out on it. As far as I'm concerned at the moment, its just a rumor because there isn't any hardcore evidence to back it up except for "color match"

i willing to bet its towerkote on your 2nd gp venus .40. like i mentioned on my previous post. the first red and white t.h. kaos's were monokote and then they switched to towerkote. but they were still advertising them as monokote covered. towerkote red and white is much lighter in color than monokote red and white. i also have a venus .40 but mine is covered in monokote. if they are now using towerkote on that model they must be really getting cheap. my experience with towerkote is if you go try and shrink it and your holding your heatgun to close or iron to hot it will do excatly as you described. its not good covering. very sensitive to heat!!, poor shrink rate and tears or rips easily while trying to scretch it.

i have a sig somethin extra i bought when they first came out. i still have it and the covering is stll good on it. it is covered with oracover. oracover was a excellent covering because i used it myself. ultrakote and oracover are supposed to be the same but there has always argument about that. i did a repair on my extra and used purple ultrakote and it matched the oracover. one of my flying buddies use's that sig aerokote for his ep planes. he says it great for ep planes but i don't know about glow planes. sometimes i think its not the covering itself but how the arf manufacturers put it on.

One of our club members ordered a GP Ultimate. The monokote covering had so many wrinkles and film separations that he removed all the Monocote and recovered it in Ultracote. He did a fantastic job.

It sure deos not act like monokote.[:@][:@] My Shoestring is actually covered with Monokote, but that GP marketed several years ago.

I have had two GP Big Stik ARFs 40 Size, crashed the first. Bought another, just recently noticed a hole in the bottom of the elevator on the new one. I still had the tail from the old one on the wall. Cut out a piece of monokote from the old tail to patch the new up. They don't match at all, just figured it was a fluke in the batching process. How many paint manufactures get it 100% right all the time? None to my Knowledge.

I bought one of the cheap Tower Kaos and it flies great, I recovered right out of the box with monokote because the cheap TowerKote would not stay still why shrinking out a few wrinkles.

I have a GP electric DC3 ARF, the wings/tail look exactly like the Towerkote on the Kaos, and handles the same way, not very good.

From this I think GP uses some Towerkote on their models like the DC3 but then they don't advertise that it's covered in Monokote.