(27) Fabric - Fuselage (Mike)

[planecrazzzy]

Hey Guys,
My seasonal job has slipped into Winter lay-off.... Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!

Time to get some work done on "Miss Tickle Madness"

I only ordered a few things to get rolling on the Fuselage...
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1 - 09-03810 STITS RIB LACING BRAIDED FLAT.....45.500......45.50
2 - 09-16300 PINKED DACRON BIAS TAPE 2".........25.750......51.50
2 - 09-18740 RECESSED INSPECTION PLATES.........5.500.......11.00
6 - 09-19200 INSPECTION RINGS.......................0.550.........3.30
4 - 09-19300 INSPECTION PLATES......................1.950.........7.80
25 - 09-00300 DACRON FABRIC 2.7OZ 63-66" 604....4.750......118.75
2 - 09-05110 POLY-FIBER POLY-TAK PINT...........14.400.......28.80

.............................................Subtotal: USD..............266.65
..............................................Shipping - UPS-..............20.78
...............................................Total....no tax............287.43

In the ACS catalog I could not find 2" "Pinked tape... and yet that's what it sez...
It only told me it was Bias.... ( 45 degree cut )
.The tape IS "Pinked" , I just opened the shipment
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Gotta Fly...
JAM
This stuff was marketed funny... at first I really wasn't sure if it was what I wanted...and I bought Bias Tape...
That was a mistake... Here's the 2 inch Dacron / Pinked tape I need:
2 -50yd rolls 09-15500 SURFACE TAPE DACRON 2" PINKED $14.000 ea 28.00

[planecrazzzy]

I ordered a few more things from ACS...

I figured I'm gonna need some polybrush for some tapes later...
and I don't have enough reinforcing tape...
I only have a little bit of fabric stitching needed on the top of the fuselage.
But I bought enough for the Wing Ribs too...
I'll need the reinforcing tape under the area being stitched...(Then 2 inch finishing tape over it )
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Here's the next order:
2 09-17000 TWILL COTTON TAPE 1/2" 13.950 ..27.90 Oooops , See Note Below...
2 09-40400 AIRCRAFT SPRUCE TOOL BOX DECAL 4" 0.000 0.00
2 09-40410 AIRCRAFT SPRUCE DECAL 8" 0.000 ..............0.00
2 09-40420 AIRCRAFT SPRUCE DECAL 18" 0.000 ..............0.00
1 13-02050 SPRUCE T-SHIRT BLUE X-LARGE 8.950 ..................8.95
1 09-04210 POLY-BRUSH UNTINTED GALLON 84.900 ...............84.90
........................................Subtotal: USD ..................121.75
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OK... the T-shirt was extra.... My other one is getting old.
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The pink Polybrush is easier to see...
But I bought plain.... it's a Man thing...
Real Men don't have PINK Aircraft !!!!!
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Gotta Fly...
JAM
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.I sent the cotton twill tape back to ACS... It didn't have polyester in it... I found some reinforcing tape
pretty cheap... 100% polyester/Twill/ 1/2 inch wide - 72 yds for $14 bucks... I'll need to use polybrush to adhere it
http://www.mountainside-medical.com/ble ... Ao2R8P8HAQ
It's used in medical...

[planecrazzzy]

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I got my Elevator Control tube Blasted and Painted with Epoxy Primer...

I need to get it in place before I start putting the fabric on the fuselage...

I know someone who forgot it... and had to cut a hole in his new fabric in order to slide the tube

into the Tailwind fuselage... ( Hi Alex )

After I blasted the control tube.... Like other parts... the oil seeps through any holes...

I didn't add oil to the tubes... this is what they came with...

I've fixed others... and I'm sure I'm not done yet... There are still more parts to blast...

Fixing them will help prevent any hole or crack from traveling...

Also,,, When I painted the tube.... it was only 21F outside... I'm not sure if the paint dried or FROZE...
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It's inside curing...
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Gotta Fly...
JAM

[planecrazzzy]

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Getting ready to put fabric to tube...

If I put Fabric on the Vertical Stabilizer first...

I can glue the Fuselage material inside the VS too...

It'll be a clean look after finishing tapes

But first... I made a rotating jig on the front engine mount.

I cut 4 boards at 5 ft long...

Washers were added to space the boards away from the mount...

This will give room to wrap the fabric around the lower tube.
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Gotta Fly...
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Ooooops, Forget the washers for spacing.. I forgot I made an outside panel,... that way the fabric won't be close
to the exhaust...They "did" come in handy , since my windshield modification had been extended 1" on the lower posts.
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[planecrazzzy]

OK... Last time I put fabric on a Plane .... was 10 years ago...

So I reviewed DVD's and read the Poly Fiber "How to cover an Aircraft" book again...

I "was" going to put fabric on the Tail surfaces in sections... So it didn't need Rib Lacing...

But, after reviewing the Stits Process...

The "Rules" didn't work out how I thought...

The "Lap" on the Fabric ON A STRUCTURE.... wasn't there...

Even if it wasn't on structure... it would still off-set the finishing tape...

or end up with an edge on top of another.

( I'm using ALL two inch finishing tape )

So... I used one piece of fabric... and I will be putting Rib Lacing on the ribs.

At this point... I used the small Iron on all the Glue Joints...

and brought up the Tension in Fabric in stages.... Final heat 350 degree F

Now I need to Brush on Poly-Brush before the Rib Lacing Stage.
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This is Medium Fabric... 2.7oz

It seems pretty strong.
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Gotta Fly...

[planecrazzzy]

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I brushed on a coat of Polybrush today...
I'm waiting for my reinforcing tape...
I'm ready to start learning the Rib Lacing ...
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Meanwhile... I'm wiping down the Fuselage tubing.
After "Sitting" so long... it has collected dust and other goobers...
This will be a good time to put on the stringers...
and my modified rear windows...
Also... I better not forget to slip the elevator tube in there...
I'd hate to paint it... and still forget it...
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Here's my version of the stringers... This is lighter and cheaper than the 1/2" aluminum Tubing...
Mine are 6061 Aluminum - .032....Bending in a Brake is tricky... Not too much or they crack...
I made some support blocks where it touches the Fuselage tubes. ( Cap Strip Material )
and I'm using a heavy safety wire to secure it...
They stand up 1/2" tall...
During welding... I already welded alinement guides to keep the Stringers in place.

After I got all the blocks in place , I dabbed them with a thin coat of polytak...
It might help with any vibration.

Gotta Fly...
JAM
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[planecrazzzy]

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Red locktite on the Window screws...and snugged them tight...

Control tube is in place...

Stringers are all secured...

[planecrazzzy]

Next I'm putting Fabric on the Top side of the Fuselage...
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First , I layed-out the VS on the fabric , This way I can tell where to Cut and glue the fabric on the lower tube... It worked great !
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Gotta Fly...

[planecrazzzy]

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After gluing the Fabric around the outside tubes... Then I trim it close enough to finish glue the fabric...

I have "rotary pinking scissors"

The finish gluing wraps the fabric around the tube to the inside of the Fuselage...

Setting my small Iron to 250 degrees... I smooth out the fabric on the tubes... Outside and inside...

My first plane... I used my Hobby Iron I had for R/C planes...

Now I have a Black Baron Iron... It is supposed to keep a tighter temp range... and it has a good coat of teflon...

My other Iron is a Black and Decker Iron , it has Teflon too.

After going all around the edges with the small Iron , Then I start the process of shrinking the Fabric with the Big Iron...

Starting at 250 degrees... I bump it 25 degrees each time... go over everything.... until the final heat reaches 350 degrees.
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Gotta Fly...
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PS Note the Pipe insulation tube on the VS... It grips and stays on... it protects the Fabric during the rotating.
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[planecrazzzy]

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Let's back up and look at the Tools...

These tools give me GREAT results doing my fabric...

I'm not doing a great job.... I'm just holding the tools...
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Gotta Fly...
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.Another tool I use during this process is MEK and an acid brush...
Sometimes the fabric gets glued too much... You can see it after the first shrinking...
No Biggie... a little MEK rubbed on it and it releases for a smooth transition off the tube...
Otherwise your gonna see PUCKER when you paint...
I like to release them before final shrinking...

[planecrazzzy]

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Now I'm on the Bottom side... Easier than the top... Nothing to "Go Around".

My Fabric was folded for cheaper shipping... I rolled it on a PVC pipe...

Get yourself "IN" some of your building pictures...( FAA )
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I glued the tail "End" before I pulled the Fabric... Then used clips to keep the fabric from sliding around...
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Gotta Fly...
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[planecrazzzy]

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After reaching under the long overhanging fabric...and gluing the edge tubes...

Then I trim cut the fabric with rotary pinking scissors...

After , I can finish gluing the fabric... And go over every edge tube with the small Iron...

Then the Shrinking process again...
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Gotta Fly...
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[planecrazzzy]

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This is the First of many inspection rings... After figuring out where I needed it...

I used poly tak to glue the plastic ring in place... Then , after shrinking some fabric at 250 degrees...

I cut a circle and placed it over the plastic ring... using poly brush... after drying... used the small Iron to get a good/tight

fit around the ring...

Most inspection rings won't have the center cut out... But a few of these at the Tail will...

I'll need to get at Nuts and Bolts...and cables...

This one is for HS nuts access and for Rudder Cables
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Gotta Fly...

[planecrazzzy]

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In these pictures... The Fabric has Poly Tak on all the outside tubes...

In the Door area too...

However... The DVD... Ray Stits talked about "Pre-Coating" the longerons with Poly Tak...

I haven't found the need to do this.... THAT process needs MEK to bring the glue back to life...

But... I "DID" pre-coat the Window area on the First side...

( On the Second side... I put a pre-coat on the Window AND the door opening... it was hard to reach on the first side... )
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Gotta Fly...

[planecrazzzy]

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Here the Fabric has been "Rough Cut"

It's close... But I'll make it better , and Prep any corners...

Once I start gluing it... I want it ready to go all the way around...

I put on a Latex glove on my Left hand... It is REALLY doing a good job of keeping

my hands from getting the glue all over them...

I can even re-use them...

I use an Air Blower to help me get them off...

Instead of pulling them inside out...
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Gotta Fly...
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