rgburrill

I hate Ultrakote. It's too bad you can't get Monokote anymore. Ultrakote just doesn't shrink well. Or stretch well. I've tried using an iron, a hobby heat shrink gun and even Arizona sun. (Alabama sun works great with Monokote and fabric.) And yes, I followed the directions that came with it.

speedracerntrixie

My Feedback: (29)

Agreed, I have covered 2 airplanes with Ultracote in the past simply because the covering was given to me. Both were disappointing. Going to buy up as much swap meet Monokote as I can.

rgburrill

Swap meet is a great idea. I'll have to find one here. I already have the ultrakote for my Hammer but I'll be building a Bearcat soon and will need some covering for it.

Truckracer

My Feedback: (19)

While I don't think that Ultracote is total crap, it sure isn't the quality product the older Monokote was. Monokote was truly a great product and I still have a number of planes covered with the stuff that still look perfect after several decades! Great stuff!!! I loved Monokote where now I just tolerate Ultracote.

Be careful buying up swap meet Monokote! If it is some of the stuff made towards the end of production it may not shrink well if at all, it may have poor color match from roll to roll or is might not stick to itself at all! Been there, done that! Be warned!

Regarding Ultracote, I've never had any issues with shrink or stretch and it is relatively easy to use for beginners. But ...... I hate the adhesive and its tendency to allow creep at seams when heated. With Ultracote, much wider seam overlaps are required compared to Monokote and even then, care must be used when shrinking Ultracote that seams are kept cool. With a Monokote seam, once stuck, it was there forever. I've attached a photo that represents my friend's opinion of Ultracote ...... he like myself much prefer the old Monokote!

LLRCFlyer

I really cannot complain all that much about Ultracote. I just had to learn some of its peculiarities, like needing to have larger seam overlaps and using a different set of temperatures than for Monokote. It works better than Monokote for covering airplanes made of foamboard because it will shrink at a lower temperature which does not melt the foamboard as badly (see the last photo below of my Tiny Toni pylon racer made of foamboard and covered in Ultracote). Below is my Clean Cut (Brison 53cc engine) which I completed in July of 2021. It is covered with Ultracote (except for the painted cowl) and has not tried to separate or loosen at all. Also below is my Sig Twister control line model (OS .35S for power) I built in 2022. It is covered with orange and white Ultracote and the covering is still tight even after being soaked with castor oil from the fuel. All the hinges on the Twister and the Tiny Toni are made from Ultracote (same as we used to make with Monokote back in the 1970's) and they are doing just fine after much use. The only Monokote I have left is limited quantities of strange colors from the 1980's that I normally don't use anymore, so I have to buy Ultracote. I guess I'll just have to be content that I can still get some kind of covering material, even if it isn't Monokote.

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Tiny Toni built from foamboard and covered with Ultracote.

Sig Twister with open wing structure, all covered in Ultracote.

jaka54

I assume that "Ultracote" is the same as "Oracover" here in Europe!
Is that right? If so it is much easier to work with and stretch more than Monokote and also more durable than Monokote.

edp

My Feedback: (5)

Both covered in Ultracote with the Kwik Fly III fuse in just two pieces, it won Best of Show. The P-47 done by cutting each panel then laying ironing down. The lettering and numbers are from my homemade stencils.

scottrc

Is the P-47 covered in the Brushed Aluminum?

speedracerntrixie

My Feedback: (29)

Extra 300S covered in 2005, picture was taken a few months ago.



New Era III covered last month. Both Monokote and neither would be as nice if they were done in Ultracrap.

rgburrill

I did find that by setting the temperature on my iron to 300 degrees and placing the iron next to, not on, bubbles for at least 10 seconds they would shrink more. Some would shrink all the way, others needed to have the iron on the reduced size bubble to get the last of it out. However, like others have said, you can't do this near a seam or edge because the glue won't hold and the edges creep toward the heat. And compound corners like wing tips still look like crap.

edp

My Feedback: (5)

Scottrc,
That is regular Aluminum Ultracote cut into panels. I sanded them w/ a Scotch Brite pad in a straight but different direction to change the reflections.

scottrc

Thanks,
I have been thinking of re-covering my thirty-three year old Top Flight Mustang and that technique looks like it might be fun to try. It looks good.

jaka54

I did the same as edp when I covered my Marutaka DC-3 18 years ago. Used chrome Oracover wet sanded on a sheet of glas and covered both fuselage and wings.Fuselage was first covered with 24 hour epoxy and 25g glasfiber then sanded and the plastic film ironed on (not using any cloth covering on the iron).

MrRover75

Wondering about the same?? I found Oracover to be much easier to work with than Monokote! But on the other than, seems like the Monokote stands better against agening that the Oracover. Have 25year old airplanes with both Monokote and Oracover, no doubt which one that stands out best!