General I covered my RCH trainer with the packing tape can I still cover it?

Tony

Staff member
You say you have already covered it and you are wanting to know if you can cover it again? I see no reason why not. This plane can withstand some pretty good weight, just make sure your wing is strong. Dont' use duct tape though, it's too heavy and thick, use packing tape. Even the vinyl I used on the plane is very heavy. I have since retired that plane though.
 

Derek

Well-Known Member
here is my opinion from my previous experience:

stay away from Duct Tape as much as you possibly can. It's much much heavier than packing tape. It's amazing just how fast the weight adds up. All but one of my planes, scratch builds, are covered with colored packing tape (from fastpack.com I think they are in Georgia, USA). I do have one that is covered with Digital Camo Duct Tape but I haven't bought electronics for it yet, lol.

Anyway...back on topic. If you have covered your RCH Trainer with clear packing tape and you want to cover it with colored packing tape...yes, of course you can do it. I did the same thing with my RCH Trainer. I started off by covering my sheets of foam board with clear packing tape because I was, originally, going to just have a white RCH Trainer. Nothing wrong with that! Then I saw a picture of the Decathlon plane. What a beauty!!! I, then, decided that I wanted my Trainer to look like that.

Here is a video that I made, a while back, showing my original RCH Trainer and then my new RCH Trainer with the new "Decathlon" color scheme.

Derek's New RCH Trainer RC Airplane - YouTube

If your trainer is already covered with clear packing tape, the key to getting colored packing tape over the clear packing tape it using long strips of tape to cover as much surface as possible. Cut off a long strip of colored tape, hold it above the plane. Press one end of the tape to the plane. Using a gift card, credit card, or even a scrap piece of foam board, gently press the tape down to the plane and work your way from one end to the other with the gift card or whatever you use. I like gift cards because they are rigid.

I hope all that rambling makes sense. If you need me to, I can make a video for you to show you how I do it. I've been doing this for a bit over a year and I have made many mistakes and found learning lessons along my way.

Good luck buddy! It can be done!
 

PeachFuzz

Member
Awesome i thought about just peeling off the clear because i have a ton of creases and when I peel it off nothing happens to the pervious layor of foam. And where could I get colored packing tape? Besides online
 

Derek

Well-Known Member
I have looked and looked around my area for colored packing tape and the only colored packing tape I can find has various colors and designs. Nothing with solid colors. It's rather frustrating!!!
 

Derek

Well-Known Member
I've seen various tapes at Office Depot, Walmart, Meijer, and such. Just look wherever the tapes are located at. I really didn't find anything that I was interested in so I just buy the solid colors online.

Good luck buddy!!!
 

PeachFuzz

Member
This is packing tape correct? I don't mind the patterns as long as a find something i like. And what are some good tape websites? Besides tapebros
 

PeachFuzz

Member
Oh say I peeled off both layers off the foam? And it's bare foam. Would it be strong again if I covered ONE SIDE in colored packing tape
 

Tony

Staff member
It would be stronger than leaving it straight foam, but not as strong as it was with teh paper. The paper being glued to the foam is much more rigid than the packing tape.
 

sarconastic

Member
From the videos Tony did I see he used vinyl to cover his trainer. Vinyl is great for this and strong, but I would recommend using "cast" vinyl. it is higher priced but it is more flexible and much thinner, read lighter than calendared vinyl. if you have a sign shop supplier in your area you can walk in and buy it retail by the yard over the counter in most places. Oracal 751 is one style for reference. 651 is calendared and much heavier. Ebay has it cheap too.

Woody
 
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