COMMON QUESTIONS
RcDepron’s Greg Tanous shares his knowledge of Depron foam
By Jay Smith | jay@modelaircraft.org
Image provided by RcDepron
Will an airplane that is made using Depron be lighter and fly better than an airplane made from foam board?
Yes, Depron is much lighter! Three millimeter Depron is only 10.6 grams per square foot. For sub-250-gram airplanes, this will be the choice. Six millimeter Depron is only 18.30 grams per square foot. This is 1/3 lighter than foam board! Adams foam board is 26.75 grams per square foot.
What are the Depron sheet sizes?
A full case is 49 x 31.4 inches and a half case is 24.4 x 31.4 inches, which is slightly larger than a sheet of foam board. A quarter case size is 15.4 x 24.4 inches.
How many sheets come in a Depron case?
Three millimeter cases have 40 sheets and 6mm cases have 20 sheets. The sample cases have 14 3mm sheets and eight 6mm sheets.
Is Depron easy to work with?
The simple answer is yes! Depron is one of the easiest, most user-friendly foams with which to work. Because it is an insulation/construction material used in Europe, it cuts, glues, paints, and sands easily with common materials! Depron has been a popular choice for aircraft modelers since it first came to America.
Can Depron be painted?
Yes. Airbrushing with acrylic paint or permanent markers also works nicely.
What glue does one use for Depron?
It glues exceptionally with all hobby glues, 5-minute epoxy, UHU por, Beacon Foam Tac, Foam Fusion, or hot glue, just to name a few.
What should you do to prep the Depron for glue?
A fine sandpaper to lightly scuff the mating surfaces will improve adhesion.
Is there anything that this new Depron can do that the old Depron could not easily do?
The new 2020 3mm Depron can now be creased (with a Sharpie pen cap and straightedge) then folded! I used this score-and-fold method to make a polyshaped 3D wingsuit man. Also, the 6mm Depron can form beautiful 1-inch radii when crushed and worked over a counter edge then set with an embossing heat gun.
What is the difference between foam board and Depron?
Structurally, foam board has a soft core that requires two sheets of medium-weight paper to give it strength. The issues are that the paper sides crease easily and that significantly lessens the aircrafts’ structural integrity. It also weights 32% more than 6mm Depron and it is not actually waterproof!
In contrast, Depron is waterproof, glues exceptionally well, and has good structural integrity without the paper sides weighing it down. This makes Depron easier to cut, sand, shape, carve, and form. Depron blends well with all the complementary materials like coroplast, carbon fiber, and light plywood. Depron is a great product to use to construct beautiful, lightweight model airplanes!
SOURCES:
RcDepron
www.rcdepron.com
