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How to Seal Sailplane Cloth

Radio-controlled sailplanes, also called gliders, are lightweight scale models of gliders or aircraft. There are no engines with the sailplanes, making them a good option for newcomers to RC flying. RC sailplanes use lightweight frames, most often made of balsa wood, with paper or specialized lightweight heat-sealing fabric to cover the frame. Sealing the fabric is a straightforward procedure. For intricate and minute areas on the sailplane, tweezers and specialized pinch-clamps help hold the fabric seam together as heat is applied.

Things You'll Need

Heat gun or hair dryer with high setting
Tweezers (optional)
Hobby pinch clips (optional)

Instructions

- 1
  Place the heat gun or hair dryer next to the model. Pinch the seam to be sealed together so the heat-activated edges touch.
- 2
  Secure the seam together with pinch-clamps if it is a long section, such as the wings or under the fuselage. Use tweezers to hold small sections together.
- 3
  Turn on the heat gun, or set the hair dryer to high.
- 4
  Point the heat from the dryer or gun directly on the seams and go up and down the seams to melt and fuse the fabric edges together. Let the edges cool and dry.
- 5
  Apply heat to the fabric once the seams are fused. Go over the entire area where fabric covers the plane. Heat it, then let it cool. This tightens the fabric and gives the sailplane extra strength.

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