By putting the graphics... inside the POLYESTER covering... we've reduced the need for maintenance to a minimum. No seams to pick up, very few edges, extraordinary fuel proofing etc. With POLYCOTE ECS you will spend more time flying and less time reworking the covering!

Polyester offers the best in covering performance and as with any POLYESTER covering here are a few...

TIPS TO MAKE IT EVEN EASIER TO KEEP POLYCOTE ECS LOOKING IT'S BEST!

• REMOVING & USING TAPE
• CLEANING INITIALLY
• CLEANING AFTER FLYING
• CARE
• TIGHTENING
• RESEALING SEAMS
• PATCHING
• CUTTING

REMOVING & USING TAPE: Tape may been used to hold control surfaces or other parts in place during shipping. When removing tape from POLYCOTE ECS, peal the tape back on itself so that the pulling is parallel to the surface of the covering. If the tape is near or across a seam or an edge, peal towards the edge or seam. Do NOT pull the tape up at right angles to the covering or away from a seam or edge. If you use tape during the assembly process use a low tack masking tape and remove it using the procedure noted above.

CLEANING INITIALLY: POLYCOTE ECS has very few seams and we use our SURE SEAL system to really lock the seams down. Upon initial inspection if you see a thin streaky film on any of the POLYCOTE ECS when looked at under bright light this is a light residue from the SURE SEAL process. It is easily removed using Minerial Spirits (Paint Thinner, Varsol). If you've ever painted with oil base paints you probably have Mineral Spirits on hand already, if not, it is readily available at a paint or hardware store. It is recommended that you work with Mineral Spirits outdoors and follow the directions on the container. Use a paper towel and wipe a slightly wet film of Mineral Spirits over 1/4 of a wing or half a fuselage at a time. Rub gently while still wet. Change towels frequently. Use a clean towel to buff dry. If you want to accentuate the deep "clear cote" gloss of POLYCOTE ECS even more, use a bit of Armorall and buff shiny with a clean paper towel. Discard all soiled paper towels into a metal garbage can stored outdoors.

CLEANING AFTER FLYING: To clean POLYCOTE ECS after flying we recommend Fantastic household cleaner and disposable paper towels. You can use just about any cleaner and we are not aware of any cleaner that will damage POLYCOTE but it is a good idea to always test a small out of the way spot first. Wipe along seams, not across. To really show off your POLYCOTE ECS covering, after cleaning wtih Fantastic... use a bit of Armorall and buff dry & shiny.

CARE: Avoid puncturing. Avoid leaving your model in a closed car exposed to direct heating from the sun for lengthy periods. Temperatures under such conditions can exceed 50C (122F) and sagging may occur.

TIGHTENING: To tighten POLYCOTE ECS we recommend using a medium-high temperature heat iron on the seams, edges, around perimeters and over solid surfaces. Use a heat iron "sock" on the iron and push down firmly on the covering over solid areas to bond the covering to the underlying substrate. Work with the iron set at 250-300F. You may also work with a heat gun over solid surfaces provided that all edges and seams are set with a heat iron first. If using a heat gun over solid surfaces, make sure the edges are firmly set with a heat iron first then use the heat gun to heat about 1 square foot of area at a time, then rub the warm covering down firmly with a soft cotton cloth to bond the covering to the underlying substrate. Higher temperatures may assist with complex curved surfaces. DO NOT USE A HEAT GUN NEAR EDGES & SEAMS. Use a medium-high temperature heat gun on POLYCOTE ECS applied over open bays. Always practise on the bottom of a less noticable section first. Be patient and work systematically... you will likely only have to tighten POLYCOTE once or twice to accomodate any shrinkage of the airframe in dry hot conditions.

RESEALING SEAMS: POLYCOTE ECS seams are sealed with our SURE SEAL system and will not normally lift. If you find a loose edge, clean any oil residue from the area and the edge and reseal with thin CA.

PATCHING: If you puncture POLYCOTE ECS, clean any oil residue from the area of the puncture. We clean using Fantastic and then a paper towel moistened Pacer De-Bonder or alcohol or water to remove any remaining residue from the surface. The patch should be 1/2" bigger than the hole on all sides. We recommend using POLYCOTE patch sheets if provided with your model or polyester covering such as POLYCOTE, ULTRACOTE or ORACOVER and the use of a heat iron and soft cloth. Monokote, SolarFilm or V-COTE covering material will also work. Cut the patch with rounded corners. Seal the patch in place with a heat iron set at 250F first and then tighten the patch and the original covering around the patch as outlined in the tightening section above. To repair larger more extensive damage areas, you may wish to obtain the appropriate POLYCOTE ECS covering set for this model.

CUTTING: POLYCOTE ECS is made from Ultra Tough Polyester. Where possible, use scissors to cut POLYCOTE. Scissors work well. Otherwise use a new sharp #11 Blade. The blade must be SHARP.

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VMAR and POLYCOTE are Trademarks of VMAR Manufacturing Inc. and authorized VMAR Agents worldwide.

2002-10-08 06:43:34