Great Planes SlowPoke Sport 40 Kit - GPMA0492 - Manual (Page 22)

The technique we will describe here is the how the model
pictured on the box was finished. Make sure the structure is
smoothly sanded with 320-grit sandpaper. Remove all dust
from the structure with a Top Flite Tack Cloth so the
MonoKote will stick well.
Cover the aircraft with MonoKote using the sequence below.
Make sure the MonoKote is thoroughly stuck to the
structure and all of the edges are sealed. Use a Top Flite
MonoKote Hot Sock
™ on your covering iron to avoid
scratching the MonoKote.
When covering areas that involve sharp junctions, like the
tail section, cut narrow strips (3/8" to 1/2") and apply them
in the corners before covering the major surfaces. The
larger pieces of MonoKote will overlap and capture these
smaller pieces. This technique also bypasses the need to
cut the MonoKote in these areas after it has been applied.
DO NOT, under any circumstances, attempt to cut the
covering material after it has been applied to the fin and
stab, except around the leading and trailing edges and
the tip. Modelers who do this often cut through the covering
and part-way into the balsa stab skin. This can weaken the
stab to the point where it may fail in flight!
❏
1. Tail Junction Strips as described above
❏
2. Rudder left side
❏
3. Rudder right side
❏
4. Bottom of elevators
❏
5. Top of elevators
❏
6. Stab bottom
❏ 7. Stab top
❏ 8. Fin left side
❏ 9. Fin right side
❏ 10. Fuse bottom
❏ 11. Fuse sides
❏ 12. Fuse top
❏ 13. Ends of ailerons
❏
14. Bottom of ailerons
❏
15. Top of ailerons
❏
16. Bottom of left wing panel
❏
17. Bottom of right wing panel
❏
18. Top of left wing panel (overlap 1/4" at wing LE)
❏
19. Top of right wing panel (overlap 1/4" at the LE)
Recommended Covering Sequence
MONOKOTE TECHNIQUE
You can practically eliminate MonoKote wrinkles that
sometimes occur when the model is left out in the sun or
in the back of your car by following this technique used in
the Great Planes model shop:
A. Cover your sealing iron with a Top Flite Hot Sock and
turn the heat about 3/4 of the way to the high setting.
B. Say we are going to cover the Stab — cut a piece of
MonoKote film about 2" larger all around. Strip off the
backing and position the film. Tack the film down at the
center of the LE and TE.
C. Pull (as in stretch) the film toward the tip, sealing it to
the balsa. Stretch and tack it to the root end.
D. Pull and seal diagonally toward the four corners,
always starting from the center. The trick is to shrink
out any wrinkles before you seal the film to the surface.
E. Use a heat gun to heat and stretch the film around
curved surfaces like the stab and rudder tips, while
pulling on the excess material. You may need to pull
hard to get out all of the wrinkles, so wear a glove if
you need to. Follow-up the heat gun with your sealing
iron to secure the bond.
The idea behind this approach (which can be applied to
any part of the model) is to pre-stretch the MonoKote as
it’s applied and remove the air pockets that can expand
later which cause the sags and wrinkles.
Cover the Model
22