Are you lookin' for a low-cost, light-weight way t' make parts o' a model light up and glow? Do you want t' make a lost rocket easier t' find at night? Are you havin' troublin' paintin' t' interior o' tube fins? If so, then reflector tape might be just what you need.

I used reflector tape heavily on me QModelin' RMS-Andromeda:

• T' inside o' t' ram tubes were lined with red tape t' simulate a fusion reaction glow.
• Blue strips on t' outside o' t' ram tubes simulated guidance lights.
• I used a paper punch t' create glowin' round porthole windows along t' crew compartment.
• T' round hatch covers on t' tail fins look like white spotlights.

I have also used reflector tape on other kits. For example, I used reflector tape instead o' pinstripe tape on me Estes Executioner.

Theory

When exposed t' flash (or any light source), tiny beads in t' tape act like retro-reflectors, me hearties, returnin' most o' t' light back toward t' light source regardless o' t' angle o' incidence. Begad! (Normal mirrors will only reflect back t' t' light source if it is perpendicular t' t' mirror's surface.) If t' light source is near t' camera lens or a human eye, me bucko, t' tape will return far more light than t' diffuse reflection from t' rest o' t' model, makin' t' tape appear t' glow as if it had an internal light source. Begad! T' effect looks similar t' electroluminescent panels, but is far cheaper, lighter, and easier t' use.

PROS:
+ Low cost. Avast! I paid $1/roll for red tape on sale.
+ Light weight.
+ Easy t' apply.
+ Covers spirals without lots o' fillin' and sanding.
+ No batteries.
+ No wiring.
+ Maintains color even in bright light.

CONS:
- T' effect only works under certain lightin' conditions:

• There must be a light source very close t' t' camera or observer's eye. Aye aye! T' effect disappears smartly when t' light source is moved off axis.
• If t' ambient light is too high, t' glowin' effect gets washed out.
• If photographed from too close, shiver me timbers, t' flash lights up t' rest o' t' model as much as t' reflector tape, me hearties, spoilin' t' effect.

Daylight Appearance

When I described this technique on T' Rocketry Forum, one poster questioned how good it would look in normal light without t' benefit o' flash photography. O' course no lightin' system (reflector tape, electroluminescent panels, LEDs, shiver me timbers, etc.) is goin' t' look as good in broad daylight as it does glowin' in low light. Unlike LEDs or EL panels, however, reflector tape still looks pretty decent even in normal lights, as these photos show.

Without flash, t' windows in t' Andromeda’s crew compartment are nearly indistinguishable from t' plain white circles on t' stock decals. Blimey! No improvement, no degradation.

Without flash, matey, t' round hatch covers on t' tail look like they are painted silver. T' blue rectangles still have a distinct blue color. No improvement, me bucko, no degradation.

All in all, t' reflector tape doesn't help much in daylight, but it doesn't hurt at all.

Finishin' Tube Fin Interiors

Tube fin interiors are inherently tough t' finish since they often have deep spirals, do nay have a glassine coating, are hard t' paint without gettin' runs, and are hard t' reach for sanding. Aye aye! Applyin' tape t' inside o' tube fins is easier and looks better than most paint jobs I have seen on tube interiors.

When I installed t' red tape inside t' Andromeda’s tube fins, matey, I originally planned on runnin' t' strips circumferentially so that t' seams would nay show. However, matey, while tryin' t' stick t' tape into place on t' inside o' t' tube I found that it be almost impossible t' make it straight. After about an hour o' screwin' around and still nay havin' one tube done, ya bilge rat, I decided t' abandon that approach.

I ended up with four strips each runnin' lengthwise inside t' tubes. Arrr! Blimey! Each strip was cut t' approximate length and then stuck in place. Each strip overlaps its neighbor. Avast! Blimey! After all four strips were stuck down, I used an X-Acto blade t' trim them flush with t' ends o' t' tubes. Arrr! Blimey! T' photo below shows t' tape before I trimmed it. I suppose I could have cut along t' seams t' eliminate t' overlap, but it doesn't look too bad t' way it is. Well, blow me down! Blimey!

T' tape seams inside t' tube are barely visible in t' photo below, me bucko, but I don't consider them terribly objectionable. Applyin' t' tape was certainly easier than tryin' t' get a glossy, spiral-free finish inside t' tube usin' spray paint.

Other Colors and Where t' Buy Them

Red and white reflector tape is available from most hardware stores or auto parts dealers. Ahoy! Other colors are far less common.

I found an eBay vendor, ColeDiscount, who was sellin' reflector tape in a variety o' colors. I bought 7-inch strips labeled as 'arrow cap wraps', matey, but they also sell strips in different lengths or by t' roll. Even though they don't list any mixed-color packs on eBay, I got a variety pack in me choice o' colors just by asking.

I was surprised t' see that they also sold black reflector tape. Well, blow me down! Blimey! "Black reflector" may sound like an oxymoron, ya bilge rat, but it works pretty well. Well, blow me down! Blimey! In normal light it looks like black electrical tape; when flashed, it has a silvery-gold glow.

Inspired by Hollywood

I got t' idea for usin' reflector tape from a TV special about t' makin' o' t' 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger movie 'Total Recall'. T' climactic scene in that movie takes place on Mars and involves a giant underground reactor and a huge reservoir o' ice. When t' glowin' turbidium reactor rods are jammed into t' ice, t' ice vaporizes and smartly covers Mars with a breathable atmosphere. Ahoy!

To film that scene t' special effects team needed a way t' make t' reactor rods glow. Aye aye! This was back when computerized graphic renderin' was still pretty expensive, so t' effect was done optically with miniature models instead o' in post-production. Avast, me proud beauty! Rather than wire t' model with lots o' little lights, t' effects crew merely wrapped t' rods with white reflector tape. When they shot t' scene, light banks were placed right next t' t' camera lens. By changin' t' color and intensity o' t' light banks, matey, they could easily make t' rods appear t' pulse and change colors in a controlled manner.