Cheap Covering

On Thu, 6 Aug 2009 17:27:38 -0700 (PDT), "Rich S."
wrote:



Any ideas or past experience welcome, both successful and not.

I had an Emeraude which had been recovered and finished with Sears
black latex primer; then finished with Dupont Dulux automotive enamel.
I don't know how much weight the finish contributed to the net, but
that was one of the heaviest Emeraudes around. The construction of the
plane was the same as Emeraudes which were much lighter and finished
with standard stuff like Poly-Fiber or Ceconite. With an O-200 for
power, it was *990 lbs* dry. After only ~five years since recovering,
the enamel was severely cracking.

IMHO it is false economy to use this method.. Yes, it works. No, it
will not last and *YES* it is heavy.

Rich S.

I'm convinced that finishes like razorback and ceconite over polyester
would not be certified with the hindsight to see their faults.

my aircraft was covered in Stits, or Polyfiber as it is now know, back
in 1983~4. despite thinking that it was good for maybe another 4 years
for all of the past 10 or 12 years the bloody stuff just will not die.
it is painted in polytone which will remain repairable for the life of
the finish. just wipe back with a rag soaked in MEK, do the repair and
rebuild the finish.
no cracking of the polytone except where the builder failed to use the
pinked tapes over structure that should have been reinforced.

for what it cost it has to be the cheapest fabric covering going. it
just lasts and lasts and lasts.

Stealth Pilot