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How to Re-cover an RC Airplane with Monokote

For many years now, RC planes have had the option of being covered with a product called Monokote. Monokote is a heat shrink film that is color impregnated and has a heat activated glue applied to one side. Monokote comes in a wide array of colors and in several finishes. The flats are generally used when you want an authentic looking World War 2 color scheme. It takes a lot of practice to create a flawless, eye-catching finish using Monokote; however, once you are done, you have a durable, fuel-proof finish that will last for years if maintained properly.

Things You'll Need

Monokote
Heat gun or iron
Sharp hobby knife
Fine sandpaper
Tack cloth or compressed air

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the old monokote from open sections of wings with a hobby knife; do not pull the monokote off the top of wing ribs if it does not come off easily.
- 2
  Use a heat gun or iron to soften the glue on any sections of monokote that don't peel right off. Once the old monokote is off the area you want to re-cover, sand the area smooth with fine sandpaper.
- 3
  Remove any sanding dust with a tack cloth or can of compressed air. The cleaner the surface, the better the monokote will look later.
- 4
  Keep any overlap of monokote to a minimum--the films do not adhere well to each other. If covering an open area like a wing section, tack the monokote down to either the leading or trailing edge first, then stretch it across the open area and tack to the other edge--the film will tighten up over the open area when heat is applied to it.
- 5
  Start covering solid sections, such as tail feathers or fuselage portions, by heating the film in the middle and working outward. Keep the film taut to prevent air bubbles.
- 6
  Use monokote's self adhesive trim sheets to add details and striping tape to cover the seams where two colors meet.

Aviation