Large Model Association Forum

hi all

i would like to know if anyone has used a combination of film covering and fibre glassing on an airframe?

i have an airframe that main fuselage is solid and the wings and tail is part open structure?

i wondering if its worth covering the whole frame with film

or part glass & get a paint match for fuse only ?

frame is going to white with graphics

Do you mean it's a glass fuz and built up wing, or all built up and partially sheeted? How big is it and what did the full size look like when painted? (if it's scale)

airframe is the read falcon bipe

Cover the whole thing in Oracover. (or Profilm- same thing) You need to keep the weight down. Look on Youtube for tutorials and read the instructions carefully, and use an iron with a reliable, accurate temperature scale. Start with the bottom of the fuselage.

Bob Thompson1894 wrote:Cover the whole thing in Oracover. (or Profilm- same thing) You need to keep the weight down. Look on Youtube for tutorials and read the instructions carefully, and use an iron with a reliable, accurate temperature scale. Start with the bottom of the fuselage.

thanks bob of the info, i will take the advice and have a look.

i need to paint graphics, wondering if i can use a car paint or acrylic paint to do the graphics Oracover?

Easy. Done it many times. Oracover is a small part of its owners Oracle. Oracle are world leaders in all vinyl media,specifically for your needs cast wrapping vinyl. All Oracover colours are also available in cast wrap plus 100 more different finishes and colours. It's 1.5 m wide and as long as you need. It works opposite to Oracover as it stretches and compounded with ease and without any bubbles as it has an air flow system. When you cast it at the end it's as durable as paint. We wrap cars in this all the while. There is also companies such as 3m and Hexis who do same but not necessarily identical colours. You could also use their printed cast wrap which is same technically but you can put images onto it. The possibilities are endless. But Oracover is not the ideal on glassed surface.

robbieskipton wrote:Easy. Done it many times. Oracover is a small part of its owners Oracle. Oracle are world leaders in all vinyl media,specifically for your needs cast wrapping vinyl. All Oracover colours are also available in cast wrap plus 100 more different finishes and colours. It's 1.5 m wide and as long as you need. It works opposite to Oracover as it stretches and compounded with ease and without any bubbles as it has an air flow system. When you cast it at the end it's as durable as paint. We wrap cars in this all the while. There is also companies such as 3m and Hexis who do same but not necessarily identical colours. You could also use their printed cast wrap which is same technically but you can put images onto it. The possibilities are endless. But Oracover is not the ideal on glassed surface.

cast wrapping vinyl

i like the concept Robbie, but the cost is not to bad, 9£ per metre give or take, like the idea of printing your own designs on it but for now out of my budget

i have to go with what i have in the workshop, sorry!

my original idea was to fibreglass the fuse and paint white, and film cover the open structure, but thinking on it

i will head for an all film covering and spray on my design

idea, for design

white base colour, colour scheme - red white blue

top wing - union jack
top underside - stars
bottom underside - shooting stars
bottom wing top - partial chequered flag design to fade out near wing tips

and use of a diving falcon on the rudder

fuse design basic stripes

trying yo keep it as simple as possible

thoughts anyone?

£9 a meter x 600mm wide. Versus £18 metre x 1.5 mertes wide. you do math

Richard, if you intend covering the whole model in paint why no use nylon?

paul hughes wrote:Richard, if you intend covering the whole model in paint why no use nylon?

Paul, thanks

nylon? sorry explain, u talking about ladies tights,

i plan on part paint the design, the main colour will be overall in white film then only paint graphics where needed!?

but i am open to other idea's?

Richard, no not your used stockings!
In your many years of building models i'm sure you have see Aircraft covered in nylon or silk. The late Doug Rigby used it on all his models as it is cheap, light and strong.

Flair Nylon Covering from sussex model centre
Traditional High Strength Covering
Nylon is suitable for open structured models and sheeted areas where strength and the very best finish is required. There is little argument that the extra time required to apply nylon is well worth while for the discerning modeller. Nylon will shrink to a very taut state and stay this way for the life of a model. In fact care needs to be taken to ensure that it does not over tighten and cause structural deformation on lighter models. Thinning the dope or using a combination of non shrinking and shrinking dope will alleviate this. Available in various colours. Supplied in 1yd2 & 3yd2 pack

paul hughes wrote:Richard, no not your used stockings!
In your many years of building models i'm sure you have see Aircraft covered in nylon or silk. The late Doug Rigby used it on all his models as it is cheap, light and strong.

Flair Nylon Covering from sussex model centre

thanks paul!

i have seen tiggies with that type of covering, and on full size, i seen it applied, for a kinda novice, i think,

i will get a sample and try it out

i want to say thanks to all advice guys,

i think i going to take the easier approach and use orcacover or similar and paint, i will have to do some paint testing but to start with going all white

i can always change the covering at a later date or when its start to ware

changing covering is a very time consuming job aswell as it being expensive.
if you use oracover can you paint on it.