Anybody tried "ICAREX"?

[Claudio Chacon]

Hi there!
Ever used the covering film "ICAREX" in any of your CL projects, guys?
It's widely used amongst the Free Flight community...

It looks like a very light and strong material (I never had a piece in my hand to "feel" it...do you?)

What do you think?

Thanks!
Claudio.

[Lauri Malila]

Yes Claudio, like everybody else, I've been using it for many years in free flight. It's a product that has made paper and polyester tissue obsolete. I'm sure that it would be great for CL models too, once you learn the tricks. I've tried to promote it here a couple of times but there seems to be no interest. Change is bad.
But be careful what you buy, there are fake products in the internet, and the original Icarex is not the best either. The best product is the Japanese "New Icarex", no idea what real brand is. Perhaps Norm F. knows..?
In US the only supplier I know is FAI Model Supplies, and another reliable supplier is Eitan Haba in Israel. Eitan has also more colours in stock than the usual white, blue & red.

[Claudio Chacon]

Yes Claudio, like everybody else, I've been using it for many years in free flight. It's a product that has made paper and polyester tissue obsolete. I'm sure that it would be great for CL models too, once you learn the tricks. I've tried to promote it here a couple of times but there seems to be no interest. Change is bad.
But be careful what you buy, there are fake products in the internet, and the original Icarex is not the best either. The best product is the Japanese "New Icarex", no idea what real brand is. Perhaps Norm F. knows..?
In US the only supplier I know is FAI Model Supplies, and another reliable supplier is Eitan Haba in Israel. Eitan has also more colours in stock than the usual white, blue & red.

Hi Lauri!
I´m currently using Polyspan (in fact, I've been using it since 1995...) and I love it, but I want to give Icarex a try...
Can you explain briefly how this covering is applied? I mean: Is it thermally shrinkable? Is it friendly to apply around compound curves (say, on the wing tips?) Do you know if it is heavier than the polyspan?
Can you stick it with dope to the structure?

Well...too many questions...

My fantasy with this material is to cover an entire wing (a traditional D-Tube structure) an leave it in all it's natural looks...

Thank you for your always informed replies...

Later...
Claudio.

[Lauri Malila]

Well, it's used more like Mylar film, it's already airtight without dope. I only brush a coat or two of well diluted dope, followed by light sanding with 2000 paper in free flight wings to slightly improve surface quality when necessary. But in CL I would start directly with a good 2-component sanding sealer.
You will have to spread some thermoactivated glue to the structures. In FF all is made of carbon, and I use 1:1 diluted contact cement. I brush 2-3 coats, let dry well and then iron the Icarex on. With wood structure, I think it would be good to seal the balsa first with some dope, to stop the wood from absorbing the glue. Also products like Solarlock work as adhesive.
Icarex shrinks very well but I still make sure it's well flat before heat-shrinking, to avoid sagging.
Personally I would only cover the open areas with Icarex, with about 5mm extra on perimeter. The rest, D-box and tip blocks with glassfiber, carbon veil or paper.
When done right, it weights about same as any other typical covering, but is much, much stronger. L

[Claudio Chacon]

Okay Lauri, I get it...

Some last questions:

*Is it necesary to apply the glue over the cap strips as well?

*Do you use the IRON or the MONOKOTE HEAT GUN?

Claudio.

[Lauri Malila]

Yep, I would glue it also to ribs.
I only use a covering iron, 100…130°C for attaching and 170…200°C for shrinking. I prefer iron as it heats at smaller area. FF wings are quite airtight and it’s not nice to heat the air inside.
But in cl wing, it shouldn’t matter.

[Claudio Chacon]

Yep, I would glue it also to ribs.
I only use a covering iron, 100…130°C for attaching and 170…200°C for shrinking. I prefer iron as it heats at smaller area. FF wings are quite airtight and it’s not nice to heat the air inside.
But in cl wing, it shouldn’t matter.

All right, Lauri...

Thank you very much for your help!
See you around...

Claudio.

[Norm Furutani]

Clint Brooks built a beautiful stunt plane and covered it with Icarex obtained from ff’er Lee Hines. You can contact Clint through his ff model business https://www.cbmodeldesigns.com/about-us.htm

NormF

[frank williams]

The stuff mentioned here seems to be "rip stop" going by the name Icarex.  It this the same.?  They point to another kite material site which is down at the present time. 
https://tufflight.com/icarex.html
https://icarex.nl/

[Brent Williams]

Interesting discussion and demonstration of the application of Icarex on some gliders.
https://www.hippocketaeronautics.com/hpa_forum/index.php?topic=4974.0

[pmackenzie]

Yes Claudio, like everybody else, I've been using it for many years in free flight. It's a product that has made paper and polyester tissue obsolete.

I suspect, that in raw numbers, more free flight models are covered in some kind of paper than are covered in Icarex.
And not by a little bit either.

On the other hand, Icarex over open structures is becoming obsolete, being replaced by carbon over foam.

(I do have three FF models that have Icarex covering, but more than that with paper)

[Lauri Malila]

I should have clarified that in FAI-classes, Pat. L

[Dennis Adamisin]

With much help from Lauri, I covered one model with Icarex.  It is easy to handle, the aligned fibers should be stronger than the random fibers of polyspan and it is far smoother.  I expect to use it again.

[Paul Wescott]

1 yard by 39” = $24.00 ?!?!

OUCH.

Paul W.

[Lauri Malila]

1 yard by 39” = $24.00 ?!?!

OUCH.

Paul W.

But you don't need a gallon of dope:) L