TAPE COVERING FOAMBOARD - For RC Airplane Construction 

Thank you Ed. You have helped hundreds of people with your techniques, they are so cheap and practical. You are a huge contributor to the hobby! Thanks once again for your informative and professionally presented videos.

Great video ! to the point with no obnoxious music or dancing. Thanks!

Excellent tips! The one that helps me the most was the static prevention method.

I never thought to precover the foam before building. I will definately try this in the future to save time and improve the finished quality. Thank you!

Your videos are very instructive and rich in details! I'm learning more every day! Beautiful your daughter ! Congratulations !

You have taken something "simple" ..... And removed a lot of headaches, tossed materials, and made my plane more aesthetically pleasing. You have a great demeanor for teaching this stuff. Thank you for all these tips!!

I just did some testing with removing paper and then applying tape. As warned, the tape peels off pretty easily from the foam. However, I used my clothes iron on the "silk" setting (medium-low) and ironed over the taped foam, and then the tape was very difficult to remove from the foamboard. I think I'm going to use this method to cover my boards.

Eccellent job.Cheap,clean and good finished.Thanks

Wow , man you r the best , my all respect and appreciation to u for supporting us the hobby lovers and thanks for what u did and ur doing for the hobby , u r great , keep it up , god bless u .

I sure wish I had a chance to meet you at FliteFest. You have some great ideas. I will use them in my future builds. Thanks for sharing...

your an artist at this!

Your foam board concept is very inspiring. I live in HK and use subway to commute. A foldable 0.5m wingspan acrobatic plane which will take a beating is what iam am looking for. Something I can fly in a small soccer pitch seized Field 😀

I love it, cat walked by right on cue when he was talking about cleaning the work surface. If you have a cat and a piece of tape, there will be a cat hair on the tape.

Awesome Video! And to think I was going to try and use Colored Duct Tape, Tape Brothers it is...

Tips: The paper comes off much easier if you mist it with a water spray. The paper should be removed from both sides, then the tape applied, then bend. The results are better. If you leave the paper on, it will NOT be waterproof and even high humidity could cause it to peel off.

Ed,thanks much for your videos! GREAT!!!!

Absolutely you can. The tape does not adhere quite as permanently to the foam as it does to the paper, but it's pretty good. You'll save about 30% in weight, more or less, depending on whether you leave the paper on in some places as prescribed by the bending techniques. And some durability will be lost.

awesome tutorial - subscribed instantly.. Will wait more tutorial on RC..

Thank you Ed, I'm looking forward to the video.

Great video sir

Good tips!

I love it! I was thinking about using this tape on a control line airplane. Do you think it will hold up to a .049 cox engine fuel? Those little engines make a big mess. lol Thanks Thom.

as i m a beginner, i live in india and i don't know which foam to use. please tell me great video

There are, and I will include in a future video, but briefly it is to generously emboss the inside radius of each fold, be very gentle while folding, and don't overbend.

Thanks ed. Is there any chance that the noob tube or petros could be flown using only rudder and elevator? I am new flier and unsure with ailerons. Thanks for the great videos

Nice vid, Thnx!

I noticed that Tape Brothers has colored tape in 55yds and 110yds for the same price on Amazon, is there a difference in specifications?

aowh ! so lovely baby.

G'day Mate, I'm having some trouble sourcing the Readi-foam in Australia. You mentioned that you can Depron (this I can source) with some additional steps, what are these additional steps?

where do you buy this stuff? would be nice to see links in the description.

Nice tutorial. Just a question about overlap. I do no overlap when making a wing and it works great. Still provides protection and doesn't have the unsightly dark stripes. Why do you make a point about having overlap?

Sir I'm using insulation foam known as polyurethane for my plane but I'm unable to paste any tape or film over it. Any advice

I do that with vinyl sheets.

Tape Brothers says the gray packing tape is not for RC planes. They sound pretty serious, it is repeated for all gray listings in red print. why?

they even sell these boards in red/green/blue/pink/yellow

Cute attack😅

Can't Here

You are very sweet baby sir

Great Job.. very clear video

I'd like to know about removing the paper first as well. I can see that taping over it would increase the strength of the foam, but I've found that the paper covering on that "dollar tree" foam board can be peeled off pretty easily. With that being said it seems that taping over the paper would be useless if the paper is going to peel off. Anyone got a suggestion about this? By the way, excellent video!

Hey great video. I just went out to the shed and did up a few sheets in no time. They turned out great! Couple ideas I figured out along the way: 1. Tape the razor blade right to your squeegee card to make a nice little multi-tool to save on the constant picking up and putting down of the card and the knife. 2. A clamp attached to the table on either side of the foam board keeps it nicely in place so it doesn't slide around on your when you're trying to align the tape.

Took your advice on Tape Brothers! Ordered their special assortment of a variety of colors on 2" rolls (12 rolls total) for a very reasonable price!! The order arrived in something like 2-3 days (not counting the weekend). What a perfect way to build some impressive wings! Thanks for your tips and recommendations! First rate!

Your Baby is so cute

I have been watching your videos and you're either a teacher, a professor or a engineer of some type. I've NEVER heard anyone as articulate as you with smooth continuity to make each point. Maybe you should make a video on how to make a video - seriously. And thanks for the info.

Dude! Great video! Thank you so much! Anglenous… never heard this word before. But I love it!

Great video Ed. I learned a whole bunch !!

I find that if you iron the packing tape at 90 degrees Celsius or so, it sticks really well to foamboard/Depron.

thanks for sparing words. refreshing. how do feel about generic laminate . I'm new to your channel, so i don;t know if you've discussed this..

Can I ask. What happened to your hand? I only ask because I ran mine through a dew alt table saw.

I have seen this video many times and I would like to thank you for the hard work here. That being said, I would like to know how would you laminate (with tape) the edges of the foam board?

cute little girl, always fun to get the kids involved, great job.

i aitend to have a go making a wing.....fabbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb and my 2 girls and son have grownup and i ab getting old.................wow wow fab

Prefiero Foan Azul o Verde de Alta Densidad para las alas. Para el Fuselaje, Un Flecha Negra (or Fibra de vidrio) . Para los Timones: madera de Balsa 3mm. Esa es mi forma de contrucción Favorita. :-)

Bonjour quelle est la marque de votre adhésif ?? merci .

For sure, both of my kids are way cuter than me, and slig. I think that's the plan in life, right? I also bet one or both of them can fly better than me too. At this rate I think it's going to be Ansley, XX chromosomes or not, she is the one who is more likely to take up flying, as she is the one who looks up at every airplane. Time will tell...

Would it be possible to use the packing tape, just by itself, as the skin of the wing, without the foam underneath? For example, if I designed a wing with two spar and some ribs(all made of balsa wood), would it be possible to apply the packing tape as the wing skin, directly onto the spars and ribs? Thanks.

Just a quick note from a guy who started in RC in 1975, and am still flying today. This idea of covering with packing tape is not the way to go. Any foam plane will be very light, and unwanted weight will be detrimental to the planes flight characteristics. Remember, beauty is only skin deep. It's the added weight that will diminish the flight characteristics of the plane. If you need to add color to a foam airplane, and add only an ounce or two, buy spray paint. Tower Hobbies spray is lighter that box store spray paint. Mask off what you want, and spray very lightly. The first coat should look almost like you have not sprayed at all. A very thin coat. Let dry, and very lightly, sand till smooth. Add a second coat, but never stop moving the spray can. Do not ever, create a build up of paint on one spot. You will, get a run, and it's very hard to sand it out. Sand again to get a smooth surface, then apply the third coat. Always think to spray lightly. You want color, not a thick coat of paint. You will end up with a beautiful plane, and it will still be very light, and easier to fly, than a plane that is too heavy. Too heavy, means a shorter flight as the battery will run out sooner, trying just to keep the plane flying. Packing tape is NOT the answer. I fly pattern. Originally using a nitro engine, then cleanup was a real chore. Switched to electric, and have never looked back. Mt plane is 11 lbs., and flies like it's on rails. I fly with 5000mAh, 8S, and 60 & 70C batteries. I have installed Ceramic bearings to the motor, and it flies fantastic. My pattern plane is a "Focus Sport". I bought it in about 1998, and I still fly it today. I would send a picture if I could. I have bought 2 foamy planes, and even though they do fly, they are only cheap, and you get what you pay for. The most important thing in this great hobby of Radio Control, begins with a great radio. I am using the same Futaba 9CAP radio I bought in 1996. It's has long been converted to digital, and never misses a beat. Care, and clean up will keep your equipment in top shape. If anyone wishes to communicate with me, send my a reply, and I will return. RC Aviation is the greatest hobby. I fly full size as well, but the expense is too great for another plane. I have had 2. That was then, and this is now. With RC, you can fly anything. With a Private Ticket, and 20K in your pocket, you have a choice of only a very few. All in all, I chose RC. It's harder to fly RC, than real, but so much less expensive. Be safe, and always keep your eyes on your plane!

Fantastic, man. Thanks a lot!

Do you take the paper off the foam before you tape it??. Or do you tape the paper?

Either of these planes is pretty easy to fly, but they really need ailerons. You would need dihedral to fly 3 channel only, and honestly the trouble of getting dihedral is more effort than just going ahead and committing to ailerons. I would go with an Axon and use ailerons and you'll not regret it.

I'm glad that ED goes back to basics and updates technics because there are a lot of my friends are just starting to build and some thing we've been doing for a while, if you can clamp the opposite corner of the I find it's easier to do. Boy does he have a nice working surface.

If I were to get back into the hobby this would be my starting place. I'LL never be happy with over the counter ready to fly. I'm an old RC glider guider that flew competition. I'd be happy with a rugged take off and landing bush type electric plane that can also capture a thermal or two. 2 or more guys like me competing using rounds certain measured time tasks and a bonus for landing closest to the head of a 20 foot tape on the ground adds immeasurably to just plan fun. Oh and Thanks ED. I hope others apprecial how your system saves a lot of mistakes and miss starts into the hobby. Also ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,WHAT A CUTIEPIE. LOL

You will have to look around. I am sure there is something for your needs, but I am unfamiliar with the choices in India. It should be light and the paper should come off easily. Usually the less it costs the better it will be for building.

Great instruction. I used polyurethane and spray paint on my nutball. It turned out ok but this method seems like it would add some good reinforcement to the foam board.

AWESOME!!!!! Heard about you on Flite Test. Wonderful techniques. You solved a half a dozen headaches of mine in just 1 video. Subscribed and "liked". Can't wait to check out the rest. Thank you. Dan

nice. is it funny to see folks like me, finding your tips, year later?? I appreciate your tips, and I just got the tape in the mail from the Brothers...... Love the finish, gloss, look. Have you done any wings with pulling one of the foam sides, paper off, since taping anyway? Thanks again.. Looking for your videos. Happy Flying..

Thanks Ed. Your videos are both intellectual and practical. I had much trouble and mixed results with colored tape but this video drastically improved the process. Before, I was getting tons of wrinkles and not a covering I could be proud of. Thank you for providing information on best practices when applying colored tape. When it works, it’s a beautiful thing.

Is there another way to cover/laminate foam board instead of using tape? I had bad experiences with tape.. air bubbles appeared under tape layer and it made the foam looks so ugly when the sunlight heated it..

I've been thinking about scratch building a plane but not sure what type of foam to use. I see vidz where people use foam board and depron. Whats the difference between the two and is there a thin foam (around 2mm thick) that is flexible? The designs I have in my head would require flexible and stiff foam. Any input would be of great use.

has anyone gotten a response about or tried the paper removal? I'm not sure why you need or would want tape AND paper....

The word is that Riot Art has something close, though it costs more, harder to peel off paper facing, and weighs a little more.

I just happen to have a Plotter/Cutter for making decals....I found that the decal vinyl rolls work great for adding color!

Using a piece of cloth is a great idea to make it stick, I've covered half a dozen planes but never really found a good way to get it to adhere perfectly, a card scratches the hell out of the tape, your hand squishes it and makes divots and weak points, cloth works perfectly. It's an important step too cause it makes the color look richer and reduces the chance of delamination. Thanks so much for your contributions, you're a legend :) Now I just need a good way to cover the cut edges without it looking like a preschool project lol

You should do a tutorial on how to do tutorials. Excellent! This is a lesson to all those people that have to constantly say "Umm", or "Ahh" or the worst one "just go ahead and.." Thanks for keeping proper speech and grammar alive!

Your attention to detail is amazing! The thought you have put into every aspect of your planes is truly wonderful. Thanks for all of your videos

Wow. Man you showed me some really amazing things to make my day soo much easier . Lmao. Things like cutting tape half way and pulling the rest off with fingers so it doesn’t roll back up on me and starting next strip. Good stuff . A lot of great info here. Thanks you

Do you know if the tape will stick to just the foam without the paper? I'd like to remove the paper. There's a great video on how to do this easily, and I think the tape alone would add strength without adding too much weight.

what the name of this Moon, My God she's so pretty.

You are real guru. Explain is very clear and practical language. Focus on the tiny but imp points. U inspired me.

i did some test build parts removing the paper and applying tape direct to foam . this improved durrability because the paper peels easy. in a crash the paper adhesion is 1st to fail and makes repairs difficult . pre-taping the foam (paper removed )and setting it with the iron seems best

I feel like you could teach more than just RC plane construction. I honestly hope you do.

Great video Ed. Funny kids of that age do that with their tongue when seeing themselves on screen.. haha adorable

They are also on facebook/dcpackagingtapesltd

Let me know the excat name of this tape?

Excelent! BTW, are you already training your daughter to build models? Great advise! I´ll do the same!!

Info for people who are used to European type measurements. 2 mil, in the US means (2 thou) 2/1000ths of an inch or 0.002" and as Ed pointed out 0.05 millimeters. Yeap, we can get the Adams foam core board here in the UK, usually from art shops, so it's not a dollar a piece. ;¬) But I can buy it locally from a shop called The Range for £3.99 for one A1 size sheet. So that's $6.08 for just one paper covered foam board that's approx 3" bigger bigger in length and width. :¬( Oh well. :¬)

Didn't know Jack Johnson likes to build rc planes. Great work!

Well, it usually comes out straight enough after the bending procedure, so the warpage doesn't make much of a problem.

Outstanding Video Sir. Great Ideas here and practical information.

That is correct. Riot Art has large sheets but they cost $10-$15 per sheet depending on size but the paper doesn't peel off unless you soak it. The best option for Australians is Depron. You can get a box with 20 large (1000mm x 700mm x 6mm) sheets for $225 delivered.

awesome simply great. thumbs up looking forward to more nice videos

Ed, you do great videos! I know you haven't posted in a long time, but really appreciate your insight. Thank you!

Wt dis tape call?

👍

Well done, if you are not an educator professionally you could be a great one.

good job, and pretty girl..thanks for contribution

Trust me, airlerons are so much easier! U will have so much control when it comes to landing or low speed manouvers.

fantastically detailed and educational - thanks for taking the time to teach me so much :-)

He’s Magic teacher amazing details wow I’m impressed thank you

I miss Ed’s videos. His stuff is bar-none, the best.