wrote:

Ernest, did you miss this post by Robert Little? See below, it
explains how taught the fabric is.

Corky Scott

Once installed correctly, it has a much stiffer surface than the more
flexible and stretchy dacron. I have seen many pictures on the covers
of
aviation magazines that show the top of the wing with pillows
deforming between the ribs as the fabric stretches under the
aerodynamic load of flight. Properly installed glass fabric does not
stretch and will remain closer to the profile of the ribs than any
other covering short of metal. Many of our customers comment that our
fabric has gained them real increases in airspeed beyond the fact of
being covered with a fresh finish. This also allows your paints to
last longer as the flexing really stresses the surface coatings.
Plus, you don't have the worry of falling through it if you
should mis-step on a low wing. You can walk on it as long as the rib
underneath it can handle the weight.

Robert Little

Guys, either I'm missing something here or I'm just not smart enough to
get my mind wrapped around it.

How is the FG stretched tight enough to make it stiff? Is the butyrate
a hard substance once it dries/cure/whatever-butyrate-does? Is the
following statement correct?

If there is any looseness at all in the fabric, and it is
pulled tight by the dope, then the dope is what will carry
the stress, not the fabric.

If the butyrate is carrying the stress, then would this system be any
stronger that chopped strand composites?

Yes. It is true. I do NOT know what I'm doing. But I will before I'm
done!

Robert, do you sell 'practice kits' like AS and others sell for the
other types of fabric?

--
http://www.ernest.isa-geek.org/
"Ignorance is mankinds normal state,
alleviated by information and experience."
Veeduber