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Question About Re-Staining

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  • Question About Re-Staining

    I love my E-flite Ascent 450. I have had a few and currently own 3. It's my favorite "No stress, just toss and fly" plane I have ever owned. It's why I keep coming back to it even though it was discontinued years ago. Sometimes, I just like the break from the high octane, heart-in-your-throat flying when it comes to my EDF scale jets.

    So anyways, this guy offered me his E-flite Ascent 450 in exchange for some used batteries I had. I jumped at it. The problem is, it's the red version (wings and empennage are red-coated) and I covet the blue. It's UltraCote Lite covering.

    So my question is to any of you who might have experience in staining material. I don't want to paint over the wing and tail section due to the weight penalty obviously. So I am thinking of staining. The UltraCote covering is transparent and I wouldn't mind if it stayed that way but it's not a deal breaker if it becomes a solid (the stain).

    Anyone have experience in this that could offer some help? Totally appreciate it!

    Here's the blue version I prefer:

    Click image for larger version  Name:	41972316_334220300476922_1326309977443401165_n.jpg Views:	1 Size:	509.5 KB ID:	159741
    And here's the red version I recently acquired that I want to stain blue or some other color:

    Click image for larger version  Name:	EFL1075-450.jpg Views:	1 Size:	12.8 KB ID:	159742
    My YouTube RC videos:
    https://www.youtube.com/@toddbreda

  • #2
    The best option to change color for keeping it light is re-covering.

    Its not excessively difficult. Use a hair dryer to heat the covering as you peel it off. Tack down a corner.. pull to the far corner (gently) then pull out wrinkles and tack down (tacking temperature will stick the cover but you can easily pull it back off to readjust) around the whole perimeter. Once satisfied you increase iron temperature and seal the edges down then shrink.

    Hardest part is its easy to warp a wing while doing this. Heat and applying opposing twist can straighten it out.

    I am not familiar with the correct temperatures for the UtraCote brand coverings.
    FF gliders and rubber power since 1966, CL 1970-1990, RC since 1975.

    current planes from 1/2 oz to 22 lbs

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    • #3
      Thank you that is really good information but I do not want to re-cover but simply paint or apply some stain over the existing...
      My YouTube RC videos:
      https://www.youtube.com/@toddbreda

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      • #4
        Unfortunately staining the covering while it's on the model is nearly impossible --coating it with any kind of stain or dye won't saturate uniformly.

        If you didn't want to recover it, your next option would be to simply mask and airbrush the white. The trans-blue, however, won't be achievable with red as the base. Wrong side of the color wheel.
        Live Q&A every Tuesday and Friday at 9pm EST on my Twitch Livestream

        Live chat with me and other RC Nuts on my Discord

        Camp my Instagram @Alpha.Makes

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        • #5
          Ugh. How about purple? I do love purple. :P

          Click image for larger version

Name:	360-360-79527CCC14F330BCD12639B265B09E6A.jpg
Views:	80
Size:	12.8 KB
ID:	159809
          My YouTube RC videos:
          https://www.youtube.com/@toddbreda

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