The purposes of the fabric covering of an aircraft are: Pioneering aviators such as George Cayley and Otto Lilienthal used cotton-covered flying surfaces for their manned glider designs. The initial shrinking of the fabric is done at 250 degrees F. At this temperature the fabric will shrink about 5%. It is not as accurate as a bulb type. It is possible that additional inspection rings and drain grommets have been specified after the manufacture of the aircraft. Since envelopes are cut to fit, they are slid into position, oriented with the seams in the proper place, and attached with adhesive to the airframe. Something that would really come in handy in places like Africa where fabric knowledge is limited and matching paints is a big challenge. What started as a handful of passionate enthusiasts has developed into a major forceand a significant componentof the aircraft industry. One part primers, such as zinc chromate and spar varnish, are typically not acceptable. 
Is it dependent upon the type of covering process they are using? The time variable is dependent upon how much time the airplane is exposed to the sun and elements. They will lift other paints and varnishes like a paint stripper allowing moisture to collect in the metal or wood with obvious consequences. Not only is pride of workmanship involved, but also a lot of money and time will be spent on this part of the building process. A piece of bare steel will rust within hours if a primer is not in place. When you shrink the fabric it must be done at a precise temperature within + or 10 degrees. If you are building an experimental aircraft you can legally cover it with anything you would like. An interesting case of ingenuity under wartime adversity was the Colditz Cock glider. Oratex6000 is simply glued to the airframe and then shrunk tight and does not require any coatings. The strength of fabrics varies from a breaking strength of about 70 pounds per square inch up to about 130 pounds per square inch, light weight versus heavy-duty. A custom-fit presewn fabric envelope is slid into position over a fuselage for the envelope method of fabric covering. Midwest - West Chicago, IL
The best course of action is to recover the airplane. All of the materials to cover a J-3 Cub size airplane will cost around $2,500 to $3,000 regardless of the covering process. Polyester fabric comes in different weights and strengths. Covering an airplane used to be a long and involved process. All other airplanes (this constitutes the majority) should use the medium weight fabric. [Figure 20] Each rib bay of the wings is usually drained with one or two grommets on the bottom of the trailing edge. [21], Modern covering methods follow the traditional method with minor differences. If you put Poly-Brush (the first chemical coat on the Poly-Fiber process) on fabric as your first coat of chemical and then switch to nitrate dope for subsequent coats youwillhave problems in the form of cracking and peeling. Fabric Tautness The single wrap around each rib is enough to hold the ribs in place during the covering process but allows small movements during the fabric shrinking process. Well, if that is true why all of the problems? Fabric, when being shrunk, has incredible power to bend and twist. This 2-day workshop affords you the opportunity to learn and practice covering techniques on actual aircraft surfaces. If the fabric is too tight you may do damage to the structure itself. The location of the holes is not arbitrary. This method requires physical attachment of the fabric to the airframe in the form of rib-stitching, rivets or capstrips, which are then usually covered with fabric tapes. Reinforcing tape the same width as the wing ribs is applied over all wing ribs, Figure 13. Structure and accessories within the wing may prevent a continuous lacing. Cookies are required for this site to operate correctly. If the temperature is below 60 degrees and/or the humidity above 90% wait until a better day. Ending the lacing and beginning again can avoid these obstacles. First of all, if you are recovering your airplane take care in removing the old fabric. No solvents, no paint, no stench, no exposure to toxic chemicals of any kind. Each process has its own temperature regime for the stages of tautening. Polyester fabric is much easier to apply. These finishes produce very high gloss results. If someone gives you a quote much lower than that they are not including everything that you need. Use of a high-volume, low-pressure (HVLP) sprayer is recommended. To cover other non-lifting parts of an aircraft to reduce drag, sometimes forming a. They are made so that the knots are pushed or pulled below the fabric surface, Figure 17. To my knowledge, Grade A fabric is virtually unavailable today. Retarders may be used to offset the problems encountered with high temperatures and humidities. You could get old fabric that has been exposed to sunlight and has lost its strength before you even put it on the airplane. Anyone who has ever restored an airplane certainly knows that most of the total work involved is in the preparation phase. 
A paint spray booth for sprayed-on coatings and space to store components awaiting work is also recommended. All fabric re-covering processes also involve multiple coats of various products that are sprayed onto the fabric surface. We are doing seminars and have a customer airplane on display. You cannot go wrong using a heavier weight fabric. {getWidget} $results={5} $label={recent} $type={list1}, Fabric Terms and Legal Aspects of Fabric Covering. Knotting procedures remain unchanged. The reason is very obvious, you have spent literally months and years building your prize-winning fabric covered airplane and now you are going to cover up all of that beautiful craftsmanship. Please check the boxes for the options that you would like to add. You should initially put it on the surface so that it is snuga technical term meaning neither too loose nor too tight. At 375 degrees the filaments of the fabric begin to thermo-soften and actually loosen on the structure. You will spend that much money when all is said and done. You can save yourself a lot of time and effort by carefully cutting the old fabric away leaving the inspection plates, drain grommets, reinforcement patches, and control cable cutouts in tact. Hiding rib lacing knots below the fabric surface results in a smooth surface, Figure 18. MEK and reducers found in covering process chemicals will not affect epoxy primers and varnishes. These problems surface in the form of damaged coatings on top of the fabric caused by movement of the fabric itself in the form of drumming or beating. Look at it this way, you are going to save approximately $10,000 in labor costs by covering the airplane yourself. Preparation of Surfaces for Fabric Cover Often you can simply spray epoxies over the existing finish without having to strip them. Remove the rust and immediately prime. Resign yourself to spending the money necessary to complete the project with the same high quality with which you have completed the rest of the airplane. It must have a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) that defines the aircraft that the process may be used on as a direct replacement for the original fabric. Covering an aircraft with fabric can be a frightening prospect. This too, can be tested. All of the sharp edges that could potentially cut the fabric should be covered with anti-chafe tape. Three European manufacturers have chosen to use Oratex exclusively, including on an aerobatic version of the Sherwood Ranger. This is a very good question and an additional problem area. Unless manufacturer data specifies otherwise, use the spacing indicated, Figure 15. Figure 4 shows a well conceived fabric covering workshop. A rib lacing spacing chart. Preferred browsers: Google Chrome, FireFox, or Microsoft Edge. Eye protection, a proper respirator, and skin protection are vital. 2013 BetterAircraftFabric.com [4] Ceconite 101 is a certified 3.5 oz/yd2 (119 g/m2) fabric while Ceconite 102 is a 3.16 oz/yd2 (107 g/m2) fabric. A production airplane requires a covering process that has been approved by the FAA. [4], One fabric system, developed by Ray Stits in the USA and FAA-approved in 1965, is marketed under the brand name Poly-Fiber. Otherwise, I can almost guarantee that you will be recovering your airplane within a very short period of time. To provide a better user experience, EAA uses cookies. All are cemented into position in accordance with the approved process under which the work is being performed. Ribs are normally laced from the leading edge to the trailing edge of the wing. In any case, take the time to properly shrink the fabric. It uses a special Hipec Sun Barrier that adheres fabric directly to the aircraft structure in one step, eliminating the need for the riveting, rib-stitching and taping used in traditional fabric processes. Not all fabric covering processes use the same temperature range and maximum temperature. This usually involves rivet heads, metal seams, and sharp edges. This uses three weights of Dacron fabric sold as by the brand name Ceconite, plus fabric glue for attaching to the airframe (Poly-Tak), fabric preparation sealer resin (Poly-Brush) and paint (Poly-Tone). Inadequate protection from the UV rays of the sun. Nitrate and butyrate dope (yes, even non-tautening) will continue to shrink fabric over a long period of time. Oratex is proven safe. Southwest - Chandler, AZ
Having been tested extensively in Alaska, Oratex is now available throughout North America. Perhaps you have covered an airplane previously or maybe this will be the first time. The air battles of World War I were mainly fought with fabric-covered biplanes that were vulnerable to fire due to the flammable properties of the cloth covering and nitrocellulose dope. If this occurs the fabric will appear as though it has not been tightened enough. [4], Falconar Avia of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada developed the Hipec system in 1964 for use with Dacron fabric. These problems usually do not appear right away but they wait until you finish the job and fly for a few months. Rib lacing is done with a long curved needle to guide the cord in and out of holes and through the depth of the rib. I have encountered individuals who are experimenting with various steps of the covering process from the type of fabric cement they use to using latex house paint as a final topcoat. Water from rain and condensation can collect under the fabric covering and needs a way to escape. Stitching can begin at the leading edge or trailing edge. Some processes avoid ironing seams while other processes begin ironing over structure and move to spanned fabric or visa-versa. --Alec Wild, DoubleEnder Project (from supercub.org). [Figure 2]. Changing to a needle with a tighter radius facilitates threading the lacing cord in these areas. Cotton-Covered Aircraft and Fiberglass Coverings, Figure 1. To provide a light airproof skin for lifting and control surfaces. The splice knot can be used to join two pieces of rib lacing cord, Figure 19. Contact Us That means you do not have to worry about the orientation of the fabric. A side effect of using modern covering materials on wooden structured aircraft is that due to the much longer life the structure remains covered and un-inspected for much longer time periods, this has resulted in special periodic inspections being mandated by aviation regulatory bodies.
Is it dependent upon the type of covering process they are using? The time variable is dependent upon how much time the airplane is exposed to the sun and elements. They will lift other paints and varnishes like a paint stripper allowing moisture to collect in the metal or wood with obvious consequences. Not only is pride of workmanship involved, but also a lot of money and time will be spent on this part of the building process. A piece of bare steel will rust within hours if a primer is not in place. When you shrink the fabric it must be done at a precise temperature within + or 10 degrees. If you are building an experimental aircraft you can legally cover it with anything you would like. An interesting case of ingenuity under wartime adversity was the Colditz Cock glider. Oratex6000 is simply glued to the airframe and then shrunk tight and does not require any coatings. The strength of fabrics varies from a breaking strength of about 70 pounds per square inch up to about 130 pounds per square inch, light weight versus heavy-duty. A custom-fit presewn fabric envelope is slid into position over a fuselage for the envelope method of fabric covering. Midwest - West Chicago, IL
The best course of action is to recover the airplane. All of the materials to cover a J-3 Cub size airplane will cost around $2,500 to $3,000 regardless of the covering process. Polyester fabric comes in different weights and strengths. Covering an airplane used to be a long and involved process. All other airplanes (this constitutes the majority) should use the medium weight fabric. [Figure 20] Each rib bay of the wings is usually drained with one or two grommets on the bottom of the trailing edge. [21], Modern covering methods follow the traditional method with minor differences. If you put Poly-Brush (the first chemical coat on the Poly-Fiber process) on fabric as your first coat of chemical and then switch to nitrate dope for subsequent coats youwillhave problems in the form of cracking and peeling. Fabric Tautness The single wrap around each rib is enough to hold the ribs in place during the covering process but allows small movements during the fabric shrinking process. Well, if that is true why all of the problems? Fabric, when being shrunk, has incredible power to bend and twist. This 2-day workshop affords you the opportunity to learn and practice covering techniques on actual aircraft surfaces. If the fabric is too tight you may do damage to the structure itself. The location of the holes is not arbitrary. This method requires physical attachment of the fabric to the airframe in the form of rib-stitching, rivets or capstrips, which are then usually covered with fabric tapes. Reinforcing tape the same width as the wing ribs is applied over all wing ribs, Figure 13. Structure and accessories within the wing may prevent a continuous lacing. Cookies are required for this site to operate correctly. If the temperature is below 60 degrees and/or the humidity above 90% wait until a better day. Ending the lacing and beginning again can avoid these obstacles. First of all, if you are recovering your airplane take care in removing the old fabric. No solvents, no paint, no stench, no exposure to toxic chemicals of any kind. Each process has its own temperature regime for the stages of tautening. Polyester fabric is much easier to apply. These finishes produce very high gloss results. If someone gives you a quote much lower than that they are not including everything that you need. Use of a high-volume, low-pressure (HVLP) sprayer is recommended. To cover other non-lifting parts of an aircraft to reduce drag, sometimes forming a. They are made so that the knots are pushed or pulled below the fabric surface, Figure 17. To my knowledge, Grade A fabric is virtually unavailable today. Retarders may be used to offset the problems encountered with high temperatures and humidities. You could get old fabric that has been exposed to sunlight and has lost its strength before you even put it on the airplane. Anyone who has ever restored an airplane certainly knows that most of the total work involved is in the preparation phase. A paint spray booth for sprayed-on coatings and space to store components awaiting work is also recommended. All fabric re-covering processes also involve multiple coats of various products that are sprayed onto the fabric surface. We are doing seminars and have a customer airplane on display. You cannot go wrong using a heavier weight fabric. {getWidget} $results={5} $label={recent} $type={list1}, Fabric Terms and Legal Aspects of Fabric Covering. Knotting procedures remain unchanged. The reason is very obvious, you have spent literally months and years building your prize-winning fabric covered airplane and now you are going to cover up all of that beautiful craftsmanship. Please check the boxes for the options that you would like to add. You should initially put it on the surface so that it is snuga technical term meaning neither too loose nor too tight. At 375 degrees the filaments of the fabric begin to thermo-soften and actually loosen on the structure. You will spend that much money when all is said and done. You can save yourself a lot of time and effort by carefully cutting the old fabric away leaving the inspection plates, drain grommets, reinforcement patches, and control cable cutouts in tact. Hiding rib lacing knots below the fabric surface results in a smooth surface, Figure 18. MEK and reducers found in covering process chemicals will not affect epoxy primers and varnishes. These problems surface in the form of damaged coatings on top of the fabric caused by movement of the fabric itself in the form of drumming or beating. Look at it this way, you are going to save approximately $10,000 in labor costs by covering the airplane yourself. Preparation of Surfaces for Fabric Cover Often you can simply spray epoxies over the existing finish without having to strip them. Remove the rust and immediately prime. Resign yourself to spending the money necessary to complete the project with the same high quality with which you have completed the rest of the airplane. It must have a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) that defines the aircraft that the process may be used on as a direct replacement for the original fabric. Covering an aircraft with fabric can be a frightening prospect. This too, can be tested. All of the sharp edges that could potentially cut the fabric should be covered with anti-chafe tape. Three European manufacturers have chosen to use Oratex exclusively, including on an aerobatic version of the Sherwood Ranger. This is a very good question and an additional problem area. Unless manufacturer data specifies otherwise, use the spacing indicated, Figure 15. Figure 4 shows a well conceived fabric covering workshop. A rib lacing spacing chart. Preferred browsers: Google Chrome, FireFox, or Microsoft Edge. Eye protection, a proper respirator, and skin protection are vital. 2013 BetterAircraftFabric.com [4] Ceconite 101 is a certified 3.5 oz/yd2 (119 g/m2) fabric while Ceconite 102 is a 3.16 oz/yd2 (107 g/m2) fabric. A production airplane requires a covering process that has been approved by the FAA. [4], One fabric system, developed by Ray Stits in the USA and FAA-approved in 1965, is marketed under the brand name Poly-Fiber. Otherwise, I can almost guarantee that you will be recovering your airplane within a very short period of time. To provide a better user experience, EAA uses cookies. All are cemented into position in accordance with the approved process under which the work is being performed. Ribs are normally laced from the leading edge to the trailing edge of the wing. In any case, take the time to properly shrink the fabric. It uses a special Hipec Sun Barrier that adheres fabric directly to the aircraft structure in one step, eliminating the need for the riveting, rib-stitching and taping used in traditional fabric processes. Not all fabric covering processes use the same temperature range and maximum temperature. This usually involves rivet heads, metal seams, and sharp edges. This uses three weights of Dacron fabric sold as by the brand name Ceconite, plus fabric glue for attaching to the airframe (Poly-Tak), fabric preparation sealer resin (Poly-Brush) and paint (Poly-Tone). Inadequate protection from the UV rays of the sun. Nitrate and butyrate dope (yes, even non-tautening) will continue to shrink fabric over a long period of time. Oratex is proven safe. Southwest - Chandler, AZ
Having been tested extensively in Alaska, Oratex is now available throughout North America. Perhaps you have covered an airplane previously or maybe this will be the first time. The air battles of World War I were mainly fought with fabric-covered biplanes that were vulnerable to fire due to the flammable properties of the cloth covering and nitrocellulose dope. If this occurs the fabric will appear as though it has not been tightened enough. [4], Falconar Avia of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada developed the Hipec system in 1964 for use with Dacron fabric. These problems usually do not appear right away but they wait until you finish the job and fly for a few months. Rib lacing is done with a long curved needle to guide the cord in and out of holes and through the depth of the rib. I have encountered individuals who are experimenting with various steps of the covering process from the type of fabric cement they use to using latex house paint as a final topcoat. Water from rain and condensation can collect under the fabric covering and needs a way to escape. Stitching can begin at the leading edge or trailing edge. Some processes avoid ironing seams while other processes begin ironing over structure and move to spanned fabric or visa-versa. --Alec Wild, DoubleEnder Project (from supercub.org). [Figure 2]. Changing to a needle with a tighter radius facilitates threading the lacing cord in these areas. Cotton-Covered Aircraft and Fiberglass Coverings, Figure 1. To provide a light airproof skin for lifting and control surfaces. The splice knot can be used to join two pieces of rib lacing cord, Figure 19. Contact Us That means you do not have to worry about the orientation of the fabric. A side effect of using modern covering materials on wooden structured aircraft is that due to the much longer life the structure remains covered and un-inspected for much longer time periods, this has resulted in special periodic inspections being mandated by aviation regulatory bodies.