Bought an EPP slope glider a while ago and the idea of strapping tape covered by vinyl tape does not really appeal to me! Can I cover it with light (~1/2oz) fibreglass applied with MinWax Polycrylic (water-based) polyurethane resin, then paint it? Anyone try this approach? Will it be too heavy? Any tricks or special techniques? TIA

Murray

covering epp planes with fiberglass totally defeats the purpose of having a plane made from epp. epp planes are design so that you can "bounce" them off of just about anything.

anyways, the glass would add alot of unnecissary weight and negate the advantages of epp.

use the straping tape sparingly, to secure spares and such. many people use colored packing tape(zagi tape) to then cover the entire plane.

have fun and good luck

You can cover the EPP with Ultracote over the strapping tape. It looks pretty good if you do it right. The building tips in
http://www.davesaircraftworks.com/
tells how.

Thanks, Jack. Looks like that will work for me.

Murray

A lot of the SoCAL guys are using Solartex fabric covering from Balsa USA. It is easy to apply, tough, and paintable.

Regards
Steve
http://www.californiasailplanes.com

I have covered an EPP combat wing with light glass and rubberized tool grip dip. The wing is lighter than using strapping tape and covering but not as durable. The glass is strong but not tear resistant. My next experiment will be to use strapping tape for strength and covering with nylon stocking material and the rubberized coating.

I realize I may be wasting time and EPP but what the heck, no pain no gain.

Ib