Winter build project: Wolfgang Matt’s ATLAS

Chris001 wrote: Any hints on the colour scheme, or are you keeping that close to your chest?

I really don't know...but will have to decide in the next few hours because I'm going to start on the wing tomorrow night if everything goes to plan.

My plan to start covering the wing went south due to a cold and general lethargy. But I've started now and should have it completed except for decals by the weekend. You can watch the progress on RCgroups

Mike, do you apply anything to the balsa before the covering?

There seems to be several products that claim to help the covering stick

That's going to look really nice Mike. Thanks for detailing your progress on RC universe, I'll be needed it as a guide for when I eventually come to cover mine, but why did you have to go for red and white strips? I'll have to totally rethink my yet to be conceived design.

Chris73 wrote: Mike, do you apply anything to the balsa before the covering?

There seems to be several products that claim to help the covering stick

Just film and an iron. The 'products' tend to make a mess of the iron and just slow me down.

Chris73 wrote: Mike, do you apply anything to the balsa before the covering?

There seems to be several products that claim to help the covering stick

Chris, not wanting to hijack Mike's excellent thread, but I normally use a small amount of 'Balsaloc' which is a water based liquid, probably pva based, but I only use it in specific areas where film lifting is a possibility. For instance I would probably use it along the fillet between the wing and fairing on Mike's wing, also along leading edges of the wing and tail, around the front of the fuz at the bulkhead position etc.

If you apply to the whole airframe, it does stick much better but the downside is that the finish won't be as good as the wood grain then shows through the covering.