FW-190 question

[Ampere]

Hi all !

My 190 (from Alfa Models) just had its maiden flight and it is fantastic http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/image/s2.gif ! I am a beginner and this is a blessing after easystar (which is an excellent glider itself). 190 looks just like a war-bird, flies like one and is stable like its big brother.

Did anyone try to cover its foam wings with low-temp mono-cote (or with some equivalent material) ? It seems to me, with enough landings, especially the wings are pretty vulnerable to dents and possibly cracks.

And I remember reading a post somewhere, someone using carbon-fiber sheets to strengthen the fuselage bottom. Any ideas ?

Thank you.

[Skogga]

I'll be addressing that problem this weekend, and I'll keep you in mind as I do some examinations of a crashed 190.

The most common answer is .50 or .75 ounce fiberglass adhered with acrylic polyurethane, but then you need to fill and repaint the parts. Adds weight that may make crashes worse than if not 'glassed at all.

[WWI Ace]

I have a Alfa Corsair that I've been flying for over a year now. Yes it has a few scrapes on the bottom of the wings but it still flys good!! My opinion is that you should fly the plane as is and enjoy it. They fly really well just like they are and I'm afraid that messing with it will take away its great flying characteristics. But that's just my opinion!!

[Skogga]

I concur with WW1Ace. Unless you know you're going to be landing in the rough there's little benefit from glassing the LE or belly. The plane I mentioned before shows little damage from normal use. However, I wonder if a 1" strip of box tape on the LE would keep the plane looking better, longer?

[Ampere]

With each flight, I love this baby "exponentially" :)

It flies well with moderate winds which is amazing for a foamie. It looks so real especially when you strafe flying it towards you !

Too bad winter is coming :(

I concur with both Skogga and WWI Ace. I will not play with it too much, but I believe a transparent tape to protect wing leading and trailing edges would be a good addition.

[flypaper 2]

Another option might be Doculam. A clear, sticky back plastic film that can be bought at Staples. Comes in a 13.5 in. by 5 ft roll. Can be heatshrunk with low heat. Somewhat like box tape but much wider. Hope this helps.