Keeping a tube/fabric airplane outside

There are several companies that make full aircraft covers. They slip
over the wings and tail and cover 100% of the fabric. I considered
buying one when I had the Aeronca. Sure a lot cheaper than $500/month
for a hanger.

-Robert

Robert M. Gary wrote:

There are several companies that make full aircraft covers.

If you go this route, make sure you buy ones made out of "Sunbrella" or
comparable fabric. There are some nylon covers on the market, and those won't
last much longer than a year. You can usually count on at least 5 years from the
Sunbrella covers.

George Patterson
Drink is the curse of the land. It makes you quarrel with your neighbor.
It makes you shoot at your landlord. And it makes you miss him.

Fabric life often depends on how well the builder applied the
UV blocker, which is most often a layer of dope with aluminum powder in
it. I've been inside airplanes that had lots of light coming through,
indicating very poor coverage and shortening the fabric's life.
Moisture, even just condensation, corrodes things. Mice and
birds get in and do their thing and cause even worse corrosion. Wind
bangs it around, especially control surfaces. And worst of all, people
mess with your airplane and damage it. They don't even have to have bad
intentions. A cheap, lockable hangar is well worth its cost.

Dan

wrote:

A cheap, lockable hangar is well worth its cost.

There's no such thing anywhere near central NJ. Community hangars run about
$325/month and T-hangars are over $400. Even at that, waiting lists are common,
so prices continue to go up.

George Patterson
Drink is the curse of the land. It makes you quarrel with your neighbor.
It makes you shoot at your landlord. And it makes you miss him.

There's no such thing anywhere near central NJ. Community hangars run about
$325/month and T-hangars are over $400. Even at that, waiting lists are common,
so prices continue to go up

I keep forgetting. I live in Western Canada, in a small prairie town
not far from the Rockies, with a small municipal airport. I paid $1000
for my hangar; it's old and leaks a bit, but keeps the airplane
relatively safe. Taxes are about $70 per year. I work at the airport
and can go flying before work, at lunch or after work. I can ride my
bicycle 2 1/2 miles to work.
I feel sorry for the guys who are faced with huge tiedown fees,
never mind even bigger hangar fees. I suppose that's the "benefit" of
living in a heavily populated area where incomes for many are high
enough to drive prices out of reach for the rest. Noise, pollution,
crime, the mad commute...sure hope I don't ever have to go back to
that...

Dan