TomTreese

My Feedback: (1)

I am about to cover a Dave Patrick Ultimate 120 ARC and want to get your opinion on which covering to use?

I have used both with success but I think the Ultracote may be easier to work with???? The downside is, that Ultracote now longer makes matching paint for cowls and wheelpants????.

The matching paint is the issue?????? Comments welcome!!!

Thanks..

DavidAgar

My Feedback: (108)

Monokote makes the Lustercoat paint, however color matching for them is hit and miss at best. I prefer to use Ultracoat now. I have used Monokote for so many years, however in the recent past they may have changed the formula or something as Monokote just does not do what it used to do. Take color swatches to the Home Depot and get your paint custom made. Good Luck, Dave

TomTreese

My Feedback: (1)

I agree, Dave. I think Ultracote is easier to work with. Maybe an inexpensive airbrush?? They seem to have a lot of colors available from testors????

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

What Dave said!! At the moment I'm covering A plane using both. First time in years I have had to use Mono but I had two rolls of the yellow I needed and had the red Ultra. I don't like the Mono!!! It came out OK this time but I have had too many problems with it in the past.
Paint matching with the Ultra has always been the only problem and Mone has more colors to choose from both in paint and covering, that's it's only plus.
Some of the Top Flight paints match Ultra. I have used there yellow with goog results.
I do like the smell of the Mono when I'm shrinking it though.

Cyberwolf

My Feedback: (4)

After using Monokote for yrs a buddy of mine was telling me how great ultra coat was so I tried some ,I was less than pleased with the results.
The plane looked ok but I was alway having to re-iorn down the edges and unless I stuck it in the shade it would wrinkle big time.Granted a blast or two from the heat gun would shrink it back ,but if you get to close to a seam it pulls away ,very low heat covering.
It would work good for a all sheeted wing and fuse where one could iron it all down ,but to try to iron the edges and shrink it drum tight is a little bit of a challange,a wet dishtowel on the seams worked best for me.

I just covered a GP Rapture to be givin away as a door prize with monokote and as much as I hate to say it ,They have changed it ,its thicker and much harder to shrink,one sec to long with the heat gun and you have a nice hole to fix.and a new plane of mine won't have any patches on it ,so its recover the whole surface. As far as Lustercrap matching monokote *L* Good luck, I have had very little success with it matching ,missle red ,Royal Blue,white and navy works well,other than that I go to the paint shop and have it mixed to match .The cost isn't that much more than lustercrap.Then add 2-3 coats of clear and its finished.

One thing about mixing the two brands of covering I always go over the ultra coat with the monokote that way if it pulls a little when it shrinks the mono will hide the straight edge where it pulls.

To be flat honest with you all ,I am not happy with any of the film covering thats being produced now days.
Ultra will go around corners a little easier than mono will, but to much heat and it wont stick, and pulls away
As far as voting for one or the other a year ago it would have been monokote hands down for me but now unless our words are falling of deaf ears Top Flight had best get there ducks back in a row or this builder will look for other ways to cover my planes.As a rule I build 10-12 planes a year I know its a drop in the bucket,but i'm not the only one that feels this way about it.
So for now I'll stick with the mono untill I find something I like better.
Good luck with whatever you use & happy Landings to all.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

I see them as each having their own good and bad points. The difference (to me) is that Ultracote's bad points are much easier to deal with - such as - you need to be careful using a heat gun near a seam or the seam can pull loose. Ok, so don't use a heat gun near a seam. If you HAVE to use a heat gun near a seam, lay a strip of wet cloth along the seam to keep it cool.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

I see them as each having their own good and bad points. The difference (to me) is that Ultracote's bad points are much easier to deal with - such as - you need to be careful using a heat gun near a seam or the seam can pull loose. Ok, so don't use a heat gun near a seam. If you HAVE to use a heat gun near a seam, lay a strip of wet cloth along the seam to keep it cool.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I haven't had the problem with the seams pulling or the covering loosening up?? I do over lap about A 1/4 inch or maybe A little more. When I cover with Ultra it comes out tight enough to use an iron to shrink it down most the time.
I cover my planes then sit them out in the sun for A couple of hours then bring them back in and let them cool down. Later I bring out the iron and shrink the covering back down and after doing that once or twice I can leave my planes out in the sun for days when I go to the fly ins without any sag or wrinkles.
About 8 years ago I started having problems with the Mono and that's when I changed over and have been very happy with the Ultra for the most part. The selection isn't as good and there isn't very many paint color matches but the covering has been fine.
The Mono I'm using right now is an old batch, I think A very old batch because it is going on well and with A lot of work it's shrinking OK without any of the heat marks or holes.
I agree, Top Flight should be taking A few steps back and give us A better product because it used to be much better.

*JCB*

My Feedback: (9)

I am using Ultracoat for the first time on a build that Im doing right now. I found a rattle can at Home Depot that matched EXACTLY!! I went in there to get some paint custom matched but i wandered over to the spay paint section and found something that was perfect! I have used Lusterkote in the past, and the match to the Monokote was less than desireable.

So if it is that much if an issue, i would get some custom paint mixed at Home Depot or Lowes and use a spray gun..

vultureflight

Ultracote all the way! Follow the directions (i.e., don't try to apply it like Monokote... gee, ask me why I know so much about that topic...?). Goes over sheeted surfaces with ease. No need to use "Balsarite", etc. Vastly superior to Monokote!

BTW, Krylon High Gloss White (P/N 1501, I think) matches white Ultracote perfectly!

dr_wogz

My Feedback: (3)

Another vote for Ultracoat..

But this is a routinely debated topic... And as soem have said: Ford vs. chevy? Try one, then try the other.

jaka

Hi!
Every one knows Audi is best! And definitely Oracover (Ultracote) is best (German made, like Audi).
It's stronger than Monokote, easier to apply, can stand more heat than Monokote, stays put and never seldom wrinkles and is easy to apply over fiberglass.

Cyberwolf

My Feedback: (4)

*LMAO* I have heard that ultra coat is supposed to be stronger than mono but I have yet to see any figures on it to prove it.Also I can spot a plane thats covered with UC a block away ,most of the time they look like a bag of prunes after the sun hits them for a while .
Its a age old argument which is best ,I say this use what ever you like and forget it ,quit trying to convience the rest of the world one is better than the other.
The ones thats best is the one you can use and get along with the best.

8178

My Feedback: (17)

I use MonoKote exclusively but I recommend that everyone else use UltraKote.

Jim_Purcha

My Feedback: (8)

I'm monokoting a plane this week at home. First time in years. My six year old daughter is asking what colours i'm going to use. I bring out the cub yellow. "Well what other colours Dad?". Let's see if it's changed over the years.

FlyingGreg

My Feedback: (4)

IMHO I prefer Ultracote for ease of use. I like that it will come up if reheated--you know, if you make a mistake--can't do that with MK. OTOH, MK has brighter, shinier colors. If you have difficulty getting seams to stay down with UK, wipe a little of the monocote trim solvent on before applying the iron. They'll never come up. I use that stuff when fixing holes also--it cleans every bit of oil off the film. If you are working with monocote, though, be careful because it will stick without any heat at all. With UK you have to heat it. Depending on the type of plane, Solartex is my fav. Probably wouldn't look right on an Edge, Cap, Extra etc, but if you are building a Cub, WWI or some other fabric plane, give this stuff a try. It's amazing the way it goes around curves. I agree with Dave, above--latex paint mixed at Home Depot or Lowes but have to clear coat with Ultracote clear for fuel proofing. Some guys use water based polyurethane also, but depending on the manufacture, may be subject to yellowing over time.

BTW--I have the CG Ultimate and its one of my favorite planes. I have heard good things about the DP.

Good luck

somegeek

My Feedback: (2)

'nother vote for Ultracote. Covered two kit built planes so far with it and don't have any reason to want to use another plane covering material.

somegeek

FlyingGreg

My Feedback: (4)

I should have said Lustercote clear.

Jim_Purcha

My Feedback: (8)

Monokote must have changed somewhat in the chemistry. I thought this stuff was nevering going to shrink. I remember just being able to tack and seal the edges of a panel, than shrink it with the hot gun. It used to quickly tighten up. Now it expands, wrinkle's and evidentially tighten up.

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

Actually, they haven't changed the Monokote any. It's because of Global Warming!! Yeah, that's it, that's what it is. Since the earth is hotter it now takes more heat to shrink it!!!



Just kidding of course. I have noticed that it does take more heat on some of the colors than it used to. But others are still the same. Bax and Top Flite all claim that the forumlas haven't changed at all. Go figure.

Ken

Stripes

My Feedback: (19)

Actually Bax said the EPA forced changes.

I, for one, hope the stuff doesn't kill my dogs, or me.

shd3920

Ultracote vote here, all the way.

As for the paint, Rustoleum has a very good selection of paints and it is a very good chance that you can find a color that will match about any color of Ultracote you get. I only use Ultracote and I have had no problems yet matching Rustoleum paints to them. And Rustoleum is fuelproof after about two weeks of drying.

TomTreese

My Feedback: (1)

Thanks for all the input. I put the wrong dates on the poll so the votes wouldn't tally but it seems Ultracote is the favorite?

My Dave Patrick Ultimate arrived yesterday so it's time to order the Ultracote. Now I need to decide on the color, but that's my problem.

Thanks again.
Tom

Cyberwolf

My Feedback: (4)

What I have discovered is the newer monokote is actually thicker. I used a 0-1 micrometer and the older stuff is around .003 thick this newer stuff is around .005-.007 in the worse case I have seen so far. Another thing is the heat guns, they don't all put out the same heat ,we checked 3 diff guns and my old TF gun was the hottest of them all, but its 20+ yrs old now and covered more planes than I dare to count. Dunno what i'll do when it finally gives up the ghost.
Not knocking any product here but my fellow flying buddy has a Hanger 9 heat gun and since its mainly designed for UC he was having one heck of a time trying to get his mono to shrink correctly.We used my old gun and suddenly most of the problems went away.

Its a shame they have to mess with a good product for any reason.

Again I say use the covering that you get along with the best and get the results you want with it.
Happy Landings .

DavidAgar

My Feedback: (108)

If the EPA was involved, Monokote would have been banned in California by now, cause we all know that some things cause cancer in California only. I am still going with something changed at the Monokote factory or maybe the Monokote factory moved. Good Luck, Dave