Nexstar coating???????
 

hey guys, just a quick question for ya. I am getting a warrantee for my nexstar because of a mechanical failure and im sure you all dont want to hear all the mumbo jumbo.

Well lets be honest, the generic brand coating on the plane is less than perfect.

and I was going to replace the coating on my old plane, so i thought since I will have a new plane without all the sloppy mess, it would be a good idea to apply the coating while the plane is in sections and all clean.

Am I thinking correctly??


and I was thinking of monokote coating, but should i rip off the old coating or just over-coat it?

Oh and Im looking for some neat plane designs, so if you have a few nice pics of you babys, be sure to put them in here.


Thanks alot everyone!

RE: Nexstar coating???????
 

I wouldnt just get yourself some ca thin and get one of those ca applicators after every flight just glue down the corners they will never give you troubl again

by the way inspect the tail as the covering does come up and it is not a sheeted tail if air getts in that you wull have a HUGE problem

RE: Nexstar coating???????
 

thanks so much for the info!

RE: Nexstar coating???????
 

I have two Nexstars and both have covering problems. I've re-covered that areas (the muffer side) that need it done on my first Nexstar (still have it in one piece, but the covering is all patch-work), but I plan on flying my second Nexstar until the covering comes off, then I will use Balsalite on the wood and recover with some covering of higher quality. The only problem will be the control services, I'll have to take (cut) them off at the connector and then re-glue. May be just worth buying a new Nexstar everytime the covering come off to where you can't fly it anymore - especially @$99 each.

RE: Nexstar coating???????
 

I agree that the Nexstar covering isn't the best. It's a trainer though so the life expentancy isn't the same as somebodys 3'rd or 4th plane. Still, it would be kind of cool to recover one to set it apart from the others. I personally see two problems with doing it. First, removing the old covering could pull up some balsa here and there and/or leave adhesive residue behind. It could be a lot of work to remove and get the plane nice, clean and smooth. Second, the control surfaces come pre-hinged if I rememeber correctly. This means that is won't be easy to cover the LE of each surface or the TE of the wing, stab, etc. I'm not syaing it can't be done though. Monokote is good but uou may also want to look at Hangar-9 Ultracoat. It is good stuff and easy to work with.

Whatever you do, don't try to totally recover the plane over the top of the existing covering. Your wrinkles and stuff will still be underneath. The two coverings may stick and shrink at different temperatures, causing huge problems. You'll just add unnecessary weight.

Personally, I'd just run a sealing iron over the whole thing (be careful around the decals) and add a little CA or clear nail polish to areas you think might lift up.

RE: Nexstar coating???????
 

I'am recovering my Nexstar. I began about 2 hours ago I got all the covering off the, fuse, and stabilizers by using a little heat. no pulled up balsa, and very little glue residue. I epoxied the engine compartment and CA'ed the seam's before it ever flew. but I only got one season out of it. Muffler side of course! if you have oil soaked wood I used K28 it's a dry cleaner in a can, it worked great. I'd also like to see some designs, but I plan on covering it tomorrow so I'll have to "wing" it![:'(] sorry