What's the best way to get this junk off of an airplane? I have heard about heat guns, what else can I do?
Thanks in advance for your help...

A heat gun or iron is really the only way to go. Without applying heat, the glue is going to stay on the wood while the rest of the covering comes off. If you don't have one, invest in one. It will save you a lot of time.

Thanks for the reply - that seems to be the jist of everything I keep reading. Any ideas on how to repair a balsa sheeted panel that has been split? I've only flown ARF's, and I want to build a kit sometime soon, so I picked up a fixer-upper to practice the covering and building techniques on, but it sustained a little more damage than I had seen upon initial inspection.

Your best bet is to glue a piece of sheeting under the split piece, if that is possible.

I thought about that, but it is on the side of the fuselage near the tail feathers and may be difficult to reach from the inside. I guess I'll have to try that first....

you could cut a 3/4 strip out.around the split. and glue strip's
in side and then replace that section using epoxy or carpenter's yellow glue on the out side repair.as mono Cote dose not stick to cynot fast glue's.l
here is a trick i use for cutting hole's threw sheeting for repair's. i bevel the side's with my exato knife \_____/ <repair hole
replacement piece >\______/ put a strip in side at each end and glue edege's sand and finnish

". . .the best way to get this junk off of an airplane? "

If it were junk it would come off easy, and at the worst time.

You guys should have been aroung in the japanese tissue and dope days (or linen and paint for the bigger models). Monokote and Utlracote, Coverite, etc. are a Godsend.

For a split you can wipe on white glue diluted with water so that it penetrates better. As MinnFlyer said, getting reinforcement behind it is best. I have had success with pieces of coffee filter soaked in white glue and applied with the help of a stick to reach remote spaces. It collapses to fit around bulkheads and opens up when squeeged with the stick. Like brain surgery but with balsa scraps.

Charlie P.

Thanks to all who replied. I managed to get the majority of covering off (with the exception of what is glued onto the hinges), but it should not be noticable when I recover it. I did not have much luck with the split - I ended up cutting out that section and replacing it with another piece of sheeting. As I wanted to use a transparent covering, you can see the difference inthe wood grain when you look closely at it. Not pretty, but effective I guess.