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- Oct 2, 2018
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Very cool. I was wondering if guys were doing this or not. Coming from a background of building and flying RC planes the last 9 or 10 years, I had thought about using covering film on a build. I may just do this on my next build. I do enjoy painting (I have a small business airbrushing RC car bodies) but using covering film does hide a lot more imperfections and takes almost all the prep-work out of finishing. The finish is also fantastic.
A couple of notes on Monokote vs. Ultracote: Monokote has a shinier finish and is slightly lighter in weight. Granted, even on larger rockets, you won't notice the weight difference, there is one. Ultracote can be slightly more forgiving. It has a slightly more dull finish and doesn't shrink as tight as Monokote, so it may or may not deform a tube as easily.
Current supply on Monokote may be a little low for a bit, as that was part of the Hobbico/Horizon buyout, but many good hobby shops likely still have stock on it and it looks like Horizon did take Top Flite (Monokote is made by Top Flite) in the buyout.
Covering with either one is pretty satisfying. All you need is a decent sealing iron and a heat gun. Both Hangar9 and Top Flite made a good covering mitt, also. Good for smoothing the covering while working with the heat gun.
EDIT: I forgot that there are a couple other films to consider for those who want to do it on thin-walled tubes that might distort easily. Coverite CoverLite is an ultralight heat-shrink covering film that doesn't shrink as much. It can be a bit finicky to work with because of how thin it is, and you have to watch the heat you apply it with, but it is less likely to warp a tube on any small low-power rocket projects.
EDIT 2: Sorry, forgot to mention that both Monokote and Ultracote are available in flat and matte finishes for those going for stealthy/military type finishes.
A couple of notes on Monokote vs. Ultracote: Monokote has a shinier finish and is slightly lighter in weight. Granted, even on larger rockets, you won't notice the weight difference, there is one. Ultracote can be slightly more forgiving. It has a slightly more dull finish and doesn't shrink as tight as Monokote, so it may or may not deform a tube as easily.
Current supply on Monokote may be a little low for a bit, as that was part of the Hobbico/Horizon buyout, but many good hobby shops likely still have stock on it and it looks like Horizon did take Top Flite (Monokote is made by Top Flite) in the buyout.
Covering with either one is pretty satisfying. All you need is a decent sealing iron and a heat gun. Both Hangar9 and Top Flite made a good covering mitt, also. Good for smoothing the covering while working with the heat gun.
EDIT: I forgot that there are a couple other films to consider for those who want to do it on thin-walled tubes that might distort easily. Coverite CoverLite is an ultralight heat-shrink covering film that doesn't shrink as much. It can be a bit finicky to work with because of how thin it is, and you have to watch the heat you apply it with, but it is less likely to warp a tube on any small low-power rocket projects.
EDIT 2: Sorry, forgot to mention that both Monokote and Ultracote are available in flat and matte finishes for those going for stealthy/military type finishes.
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