I covered a 35% about 2 years ago and the Monokote was a bear. It was so hard to shrink that even when you stretched it tight before tacking, it still took forever to shrink it down. I really prefer the finish of Monokote to Ultracote though.

Has the Monokote improved any lately? 10 or 15 years ago, Monokote went down almost as easy as Ultracote and it had the better finish. Now Monokote takes me 4 times as long.

I haven't bought any monokote recently, but the last roll I got, maybe 6-7 months ago, was definately more difficult to deal with than the "old" stuff. With all the problems everyone is having, I'll probably go Ultracote on my next model.
zx32tt

i cover all my planes with monokote.....and have never had a problem. Personally, I think it just takes some practice. I doubt Ultracote is any "better" or "easier" to apply than monokote....it just goes on different.....so you use different techniques.

Last time I used monokote, I covered a 40%'er in 2 weeks flat....

My newer rolls have been, dare I say, a joy to work with.
Jim

Originally Posted by jmiracle

i cover all my planes with monokote.....and have never had a problem. Personally, I think it just takes some practice. I doubt Ultracote is any "better" or "easier" to apply than monokote....it just goes on different.....so you use different techniques.

Last time I used monokote, I covered a 40%'er in 2 weeks flat....

Two weeks......whats up with that, seems like a very long time to cover an airplane.

I just purchased some new Monokote about 4 weeks ago. Three rolls of each, Saphire blue, White, Yellow. All have been perfect to work with. It looks like they may have solved the problem.

Originally Posted by 3dav8r

Two weeks......whats up with that, seems like a very long time to cover an airplane.

On a 40% plane? Depending on the complexity of the scheme and the amount of time you have to devote to the work. I was talking with a guy at the Nall who builds VERY nice planes and covers with MonoKote. He has planes that are four years old with tons of flights that still look wonderful. He puts on a couple pieces at a time and takes a break. I had about 10-15 hours in each wing panel in the plane I just finished.

Do not rush, do not get fatigued and you will have an awesome job that not only shines, but does not turn into a prune in the sun.

The last plane I covered in Mono was the best covering in years. I think most problems can be eliminated in the preparation before covering.

I tested pieces of white and blue from new 25 foot rolls. It seems to be way better than what I used 2 years ago. I'll report back after I get my first wing covered.

By the way, I pulled out an older roll and you can visually see a difference in the texture of the glue side. The older stuff has small dots all over and the new stuff is the smooth dull adhesive surface I am used to seeing.

I have five rolls of a color called Frosted Wine that was discontinued years ago. I cut open a corner of it and stuck to some sheeted surface and to an open framework. Just like the good old days! I have some from about two years ago that made me switch to Ultrakote for a time. I guess it depends on what plane I want to cover as to which covering I want to put on it. I do think Monokote has better tensile strength than Ultrakote but I use both with good results.
WT

I'm going back to monocote for my next Dalton. I'm not that crazy about the ultracote on my Giles and it doesn't have anything to do with John Nelon who covered it. He covered my 300 and it looked great for the three years I had that and it was in monocote. Rob

I have been told by some people that the older monocote was better. I've heard the newer monocote has different adhesive than the old stuff which makes it harder to work with. I also heard that it was changed for EPA stuff or something. Supposibly the older monocote had a stronger smell than the newer stuff too. With that said...

I just sold a 37% aeroworks built in 1999 with monocote and it looks new still. My 4 year old Dalton 260 is also covered in monocote and with over 10 galons of smoke oil passing over it it still looks new and I don't have any bubbling, fading, or adhesive problems at all. Seems like the stuff is still pretty good. Don't tell X-Rated I said that though.

-Kelly

Originally Posted by WangoTango

I have five rolls of a color called Frosted Wine that was discontinued years ago. I cut open a corner of it and stuck to some sheeted surface and to an open framework. Just like the good old days! I have some from about two years ago that made me switch to Ultrakote for a time. I guess it depends on what plane I want to cover as to which covering I want to put on it. I do think Monokote has better tensile strength than Ultrakote but I use both with good results.
WT

Be aware, the frosted white is VERY translucent when applied. EXPERIENCE!

Originally Posted by Kookaburra

Be aware, the frosted white is VERY translucent when applied. EXPERIENCE!

Kook,
You're right about that white! It looks good on say, an old-timer with a lot of open framework. You can see pretty well right through it. This Frosted Wine is almost a maroon/ burgundy color and is pretty sticky stuff. It even goes over a fiberglass cowl in ONE piece. Takes a lot of tugging and a lot of heat!
WT

Has anyone used the new 6' rolls, or just the 25' ones and found them to be better than the previous couple of years?


Thanks!
Chris