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How to Cover an RC Wing

Collecting and flying RC airplanes can turn into an expensive hobby depending on the number and types of planes you have in your collection. You should do everything you can to protect your investment. One way you can do this is by covering your RC airplane with shrink wrap film that adds structural stability to the plane's body. This involves careful preparation and application but well worth the work in the end. You can fly your RC airplane with a little more ease knowing that you took extra precautions to ensure your plane's longevity.

Things You'll Need

Goggles
Gloves
Work bench
800-grit sand paper
Microfiber towel
Shrink wrap film
Metal ruler
Scissors
Covering iron
Craft knife

Instructions

- 1
  Wipe down your work area with a clean towel. Make sure no dirt and debris remains on your workbench, as this can adversely affect the shrink wrap's ability to form a seal around your RC airplane wing. Simply use a clean towel to wipe down.
- 2
  Lay your RC airplane wing down on the clean workbench and sand it down lightly until you get a rough surface, which helps the shrink wrap to cling to the entire surface.
- 3
  Wipe away all excess dust created from the sanding with a microfiber towel. This type of towel has a smooth surface and prevents scratching of the wing surface. Ensure that no dust is left.
- 4
  Cut two pieces of shrink wrap that are at least two inches longer than the wing on all sides. As the name indicates, the shrink wrap gets smaller during the application process. As such, you must ensure you have extra shrink wrap to account for the shrinking process. Use a ruler for a precise measurement. Also make sure to remove the shrink wrap's back protective covering.
- 5
  Seal the shrink wrap by applying a heated holding iron to the edges, except for the wing tip. The wrap does not need to fit perfectly over the wing at this point. Set the temperature of the holding iron to the sealing temperature, which is listed on the back of the shrink wrap container. This is a low heat that activates the wrapping's adhesive properties. Higher heat causes the wrap to shrink.
- 6
  Seal the wing tip side of the shrink wrap by tugging tightly with the holding iron. This ensures the wrap conforms to any curved edges.
- 7
  Set the holding iron to the higher shrink setting, and apply to the wrapping until it tightly shrinks around the RC wing.
- 8
  Remove excess wrapping with a craft knife. Move slowly and prevent cutting into the wrapping. You only want to remove the excess pieces, not the parts covering the wing.

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