Flite Streak Covering Question

Hello all,

Working on the new Brodak Flite Streak and have a finishing question. My plan is/was to cover the wing with 21st Century Film that I got on closeout when my LHS bit the dust. I have a roll each of white, black and red. The idea I had was to cover the entire wing in all white, then layer on with the red and black as trim, to match the box art. I’m a little ways off from doing this, as I’m just installing the wing tips at this point, but I started reading the directions for the film. They say they do not recommend using large trim areas of film on film. I assume this may be a bubble/shrink/failure to adhere properly issue. I sure don’t want to go to the trouble, just to watch the trim peel off in flight. I realize I should just make the whole thing one color as the inevitable repairs are so much easier, and it keeps the weight down, but I can’t help myself.

Anybody have any ideas on how to make this work or any history with using this stuff?

Thanks and best regards,

Clay

Ps. The Ring Jr. has been flying great with the OS .10 Takeoffs, landings, wingovers, and loops are looking better. Been out every night this week. Man is it hot! 90 F and 60% RH at 8:00 PM last night. Drink plenty of water!

Clay,

You could try what Nils does, he scuffs up the trim area with a scotchbrite pad and paints trim on with Rustoleum paint. I don't know if that would work O.K. on 21st Century or not though. Also it would be a good idea to keep the trim small even with Rustoleum because it's a rather heavy enamel paint. But it is fuel proof up to about 20% nitro I understand.

Well, you asked for an idea or opinion of sorts. Sell the plastic to an R/cer. Cover the wing with medium silkspan and use Japanese tissue for the trim. Looks great, will improve your covering skills, make others jealous and envious of your beautiful cover job. I used that stuff (plastic) and it just is a pain. Even the old soapy water trick would not keep out the bubbles on a large area. Lots of weight with three layers of plastic, and a strong bag for the wreckaage.

First of all I have to be amused at the continuing resistance to plastic film. It is a skill that has to be learned the same as tissue and dope. It has too many virtues to ignore not the least of which is the complete lack of odor and it is suprisingly easy to use. I know been using it since 1966 and only reluctantly use the smelly stuff.
Now to the problem at hand. There is a way to do this and it is not that difficult. But it does require a little preparation.
Make a pattern of the designs that you intend to put on the plane. In this case I assume that you are doing the classic flite streak scheme. Let us start with the first color that will be in the front use your pattern for the front piece and cut the outline out. That is to say the ogee curves that are towards the center of the wing and up to the point. Leave the front and the end long to have something to pull.
Make the rear pattern again do the same thing. The center pattern is made a half to 3/8 inch larger. Also make a pattern the correct size , you'll need it in a minute.
When you cut out the center pattern trace the correct sized one equally spaced from the ends.
Now the fun part. Take the front part and bring it up to the line that you have on the cernter piece and iron it to it. Do the same with the back. Mind , that you are doing this on your table preferably over a sheet of glass . When you are done you lift it up and voila' a pre finished sheet to put on your wing. Make 3 more and proceed to cover your plane. Now be careful with the heat around the seams that you've gone to great pains to join the stuff together don't want them coming apart do you.
All kidding aside this method has been used many times and on prize winning Monocote jobs. you dont think that they're that good either do you.
I know that I've really just done a skim job in describing the process but one thing you shouldn't be doing this as your first film covering job it is a semi advanced concept. Incidentally it wont be heavy and like any other skill you can get so good at it they will think that you painted it. this includes a profile too

I read the preceeding post of mine and noticed that I forgot to put one important thing in it. When you are ironing the Seams together to join the design you have to keep some of the backing film between the color film and the surface your working on. Otherwise you know what will happen.
I have used Monokote and Ultracoat. The film that your using is a little different if I remember it . It doesn't take a lot of heat to make it work, that's good. And it seemes to shrink when you remove the iron. I'm not sure about the last part. One thing that is absolutely important is that you don't use a blow gun to shrink the film. Ant this is very important make sure that you rub the film down to all the wood as you heat it and it cools. You will find that you really will get very few wrinkles.
oh and one other thing if your over a solid surface, you can make a pattern trace it on to the plane where you want it to go. Use a NEW SHARP no 11 blade to trim the outline shape away and then position and iron the corresponding design from your trim color on. I know what you think. Trust me it's a lot faster then
masking and taping. And no danger of bleed or peel.
I know that I read in one of these forums about a top flyer who uses Monokote for his ships and you would think that they are paint. This is not magic it is the result of the same effort that you put into a dope finish. Remember you get out of it what you put in to it. There a lot of quick and dirty dope jobs out there too

We have a local sign shop that can design and cut ANYTHING on 2mil vinyl. Cut some patterns and find a shop that will cut 'em for you. Lay them on the plane. Worked with care, there will be no bubbles. Minimum charge may be $25, but that may be cheap in terms of the quality and ease of application. Our guys made us a lovely set of name and AMA number stickers for a new fueling box I built. Very pleased with the results.

LAST EDITED ON Aug-09-01 AT 05:02 PM (EST)

Cut the sections out with a razor blade on a piece of glass using cardboard templets, join them with an iron on the glass and cover the wing just as you would with one piece. Leave 1/4" for the seam and use a trim iron on low to join the sections.

Bob Reeves

Oops Didn't see the above post.. better explanation than I wrote

I'd have to say no to the 2mm vinyl it isn't made for covering but it is great for designs that you put on over a covered plane.Have a friend in the business that makes mine for me. The 2 mm isn't made to shrink taught. It is more like the stuff that you see on imported arf's
I think that Mr Reeves is the individual who I heard does great monokote work and he is correct about the amount of overlap. My measurements are wrong. 1/4 inch overlap is plenty

Denlip,

Not I , you are probably thinking of Bob Redman he is a master with $cote. I have only covered one plane using the aforementioned technique but I must say it turned out pretty decent and wasn't really that difficult.

Thanks guys!

I have the film, I have the glass top, I have the iron, I have the blades…and now I have the plan! This will be the third wing I have covered in film, the first with the 21st Century type. Not much experience, but enough to have learned a few things that don’t work.

I’m in the group that doesn’t have anything against dope and plan to use some to put a few coats on all of the wood before covering. I also plan to silkspan all of the solid structures and paint to match the film.

Thanks again for the assist.

Best regards,

Clay

Clay, be aware that each type of film has its own best temperatures for adhesion and shrinkage. I have a Coverite thermometer that is very helpful. And it comes with a list of the major coverings and their best temps. And correct, I did not mean to suggest covering the entire wing with 2mil vinyl. It's just the slickest and easiest way to do fancy trim that really looks great.