Ultracote/Monokote

[Mike Griffin]

I just heard from what I consider a reliable source, that the manufacturers of both Monokote and Ultracote are going to severely limit the number of colors they offer and may stop offering the products at all in the near future.  The reason given is that not that many people build anymore and the demand for the product does not warrant the continued production of the products.

Given the tremendous influx of ARFs , especially in the RC market, I guess this could be true.  Has anyone else heard anything similar to this?  By the way, the information I got came from the owner of a very long established hobby shop in our area.

Thanks
Mike

[Dan McEntee]

I just heard from what I consider a reliable source, that the manufacturers of both Monokote and Ultracote are going to severely limit the number of colors they offer and may stop offering the products at all in the near future.  The reason given is that not that many people build anymore and the demand for the product does not warrant the continued production of the products.

Given the tremendous influx of ARFs , especially in the RC market, I guess this could be true.  Has anyone else heard anything similar to this?  By the way, the information I got came from the owner of a very long established hobby shop in our area.

Thanks
Mike

    Well, just to play devil's advocate, what do they think ARF's are covered with?
    Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

[Mike Griffin]

    Well, just to play devil's advocate, what do they think ARF's are covered with?
    Type at you later
   Dan McEntee

I agree Dan and that is probably the majority of the use of the material I am guessing.  The control line and free flight segment is the majority of the "build your own model" and maybe that is not a large enough market to warrant current production.....I have no idea, just guessing.  I dont know many RC guys who build their own planes anymore. 

Guess we will just have to wait and see what happens.  Nothing surprises me anymore.

Mike

[John Rist]

I was born in 1940.  I was around when Monokote was invented.  If I live a few more years I may see it's demise.    It sure makes me feel old.  Wait a moment I am OLD!!    

[John Carrodus]

I wondered why I was getting loose, slack, wrinkly and losing colour, me monocoat stuffed! 
Seriously- real shortages beginning to bite here in Kiwiland.

[Tim Wescott]

Hopefully someone will start importing whatever stuff is being used to cover ARFs.  Presumably there's plenty in Vietnam and Malaysia, or wherever they're actually building ARFs these days.

It's all out of patent, and it's really just a matter of getting the right plastic coated with the right glue -- so it's probably not hard to get if you're ordering in ARF-factory quantities.

It could be that the Monocoat and Ultracoat brands will die, and with them the "good stuff" that we're getting now.  Then once we've used up the DMS (dead modeler's stash) someone will start making quality stuff again.

BTW: had my first experience with Hobby King covering.  Going on it's not bad.  It seems lighter than Monocoat or Ultracoat.  I can't vouch for it being fuel proof, but I'm moving to electric so I don't much care.

[Avaiojet]

Iron on covering materials have a purpose. If it was me, I'd be looking on line, other Forum Classifieds, and the bay.

I'd be rounding this material up quickly. In fact, I just saw some rolls in another Forum for sale.

Good luck.

Charles

[Dave Harmon]

I was born in 1940.  I was around when Monokote was invented.  If I live a few more years I may see it's demise.    It sure makes me feel old.  Wait a moment I am OLD!!    

That's right!!
I wonder how many guys here remember the first sticky-back MK??
Man....that was like trying to cover with fly paper.....just terrible.
That made me start to use nylon from a fabric store....works great after you go through the hell of getting it on the wing.....these days I would use a UHU glue stick....works great....see Easy Models.
And if the nylon don't crush the wing!!

[Motorman]

 I knew one guy, when he said they don't make that, it means he's not going to carry it anymore. I wouldn't worry too much about what hobby shops tell you. Probably wanted you to buy up all the oddball colors take didn't sell.

[Dave Hull]

Our local hobby shop staff had a similar story--that FlopTite was selling from current inventory and when it was gone, that was the end of it.

It doesn't make me that sad. The earlier material was great! The last 5-10 years it did not shrink the same, and it was very easy to find that you got spanwise wrinkles that would not come out.

Dave

[Mike Griffin]

I knew one guy, when he said they don't make that, it means he's not going to carry it anymore. I wouldn't worry too much about what hobby shops tell you. Probably wanted you to buy up all the oddball colors take didn't sell.

Yeah that was it Moto   ...... *eyeroll*   

[Carl Cisneros]

Some of the other iron on coverings that I have used and are very easy to work with and fuel proof as well:

Iron on covering from Value Hobby in Illinois
Hobby King Iron on covering
Airborne-Models Iron on Covering (the same covering that was used on the Sig Primary Force Model- the folks at Sig told me this)(they have a US outlet as well)

So, there ARE alternatives to the Monokote/Ultracote coverings.

Plus you get MORE covering per roll then the 2 popular coverings in the US.

Carl