4 Repairing Deteriorated Aircraft Fabric With Fiberglass Cloth Roy M. Prine At this stage of your planning it is important that you have a Early in 1955, a Kansas City, layout table to serve as a draw- Missouri Fixed Base Operator ing board. On your board you approached the C. A. A. with now can start actual design the intriguing idea of repairing work. The following steps are and reinforcing deteriorated air- recognized to be an excellent ap- craft fabric with Fiberglass proach in any design work, and cloth. The method to be used I would suggest that you plan was simply sheets of the glass your drawings according to the cloth on the fabric, then secure following method. or bond them to the underlying (A) Layout drawings. —This fabric with either a resin or air- is a general drawing of a section craft dope and in all probability of the airplane in which the lay- the aircraft would not have to be out of various parts is arranged disassembled, a distinct advan- clearly understood. If your and from which detail drawings tage. Design Preparation knowledge is limited somewhat of these parts can be made to Believing that the idea had in regard to the aforementioned fit the completed structure. merit and since it is recognized Stanley "Prop" Dzik (B) Installation drawing. -- questions, I would like to con- that the majority of the fabric This drawing shows groups of vey to you the avenues to follow covered small aircraft have fa- Designing an aircraft of your that will enable you to carry out parts or assemblies which com- bric that is marginal or even own concept, whether you in- your design work with less prise a major unit of an airplane sub-marginal in strength, and tend to use it for just plain plea- doubt. structure such as the fuselage realizing that within the next sure flying or acrobatic work, installation' drawing which two years the figure will rapidly First I would suggest that you shows the location of all fixed can relatively be a simple under- visit your local library, and ac- increase, the Operator was ad- taking, or it can ultimately re- points in the fuselage. vised to go ahead and every as- quire several basic aeronautical (C) Assembly drawings. —This sult in discouragement. books on aircraft engineering. sistance possible would be given I would like to aim this dis- drawing shows the assembly of him. If your local library 'does not two or more parts into a unit. cussion to those who contem- have the books you're interested Since there was no informa- plate designing their own air- (D) Detail drawings. —This tion or knowledge available on in, then ask the librarian for is a drawing of a separate part craft, and to those that gave up addresses of publishers or the the subject, it became necessary the idea. To these individuals which will later be assembled to set up an experimental pro- source that you can contact for to other parts. I would like to direct some per- a list of books you can pur- gram to determine methods of tinent advice regarding the pre- (E) Rework drawings. —When accomplishment, to evaluate the chase. I would also suggest that it is desirable to rework a part requisities of basic design, be- you write to the Superintendent practicability and airworthiness so that it may be used, this draw- fore attempting to build their of Documents, U.S. Government qualities of each method devel- aircraft. ing is prepared to show how such oped and to accomplish this cer- Printing Office, Washington 25, rework operations can be car- The first thought in mind D. C., and ask for a list of C.A.A. tain standards and criteria were would be to make a 3-view plan ried out. set up as follows: Technical Manuals on aircraft I have only highlighted and configuration drawing of the construction and maintenance, There should be no apparent touched on the most important type of aircraft to be desired. for example, C.A.M. #1, 8, and conflict with C.A.R. parts 3 and factors that are necessary to car- At this point you believe you 18. After you have obtained 4. All material, technique, pro- ry out a well planned project. really have accomplished some- these books and manuals, I sug- cesses, and workmanship must If you follow the suggestions as thing. All that you have now is gest that you study all phases be compatible with C.A.M. - 18 a "pretty" picture of an air- outlined in this discussion you requirements. There must be on aircraft design. I do not will realize that the end result plane, and in most cases you've mean that you glance or page no adverse effect upon the struc- will be most gratifying in respect done just that. How much do through the technical matter, tural integrity or flight charac- that you will save yourself con- I know about but apply some serious studying, teristics of the aircraft. siderable time, effort, expense (1) aircraft materials and their even if it means burning the During the next few months, and most of all "grief". application in aircraft design? midnight oil. many methods and processes (2) "An" aircraft hardware In conclusion may I remind Let's assume that now, after were tried and evaluated using specifications related to type, you that it takes a little mental aircraft dope and plastic resins you have devoted much time in size and quality? sweat to find the approved short- until one process appeared to (3) weight and balance? the course of study, some of the cut. puzzling questions you had prior meet the criteria and standards (4) aircraft standards and pro- Editors Note: —We are pleased set up. Also the process was to this time, are now answered. cedures? to have published "Prop" Dzik's easy to understand and use, no (5) C.A.A. rules and regula- If your design involves con- "Design Preparation". E.A.A. special equipment or tools would tions governing amateur built siderable (a) sheet metal work, Headquarters has a tremendous be necessary, and installations aircraft? (b) steel tubing, (c) or wood- flow? of correspondence from could be made by any certifi- The outlook now seems a trifle working design, it would be ad- members to answer relative cated mechanic if instructions complicated, but let me assure viseable for you to purchase a simple technical questions. An- were followed. you that is not the case at all. set of plans that are of compar- swers to those questions can be During the experimental pro- There is no mystery involved able design to your own from acquired by following the advice gram, invaluable assistance and in designing your own aircraft. a material standpoint. You will in the "Design Preparation" ar- advice was given by the person- With the proper approach in find that the plans will be an ticle, thus helping reduce the nel of Owens-Corning Fiber- planning, each step must be invaluable reference for gui- load on E.A.A.'s correspondence glass Corp., who manufacture carefully studied, analyzed, and dance. work. See Fiberglass on Page 13 13 Continued from Page 4 the basic glass material and Hess-Goldsmith and Co.. Inc., who manufacture the glass clo'h. Many types and grades of glas~ cloth and bonding agents were tried during the experimentrl trial until one type was found that had the desired qualities and most nearly approached grade A. aircraft fabric but was considerably stronger in both directions. The aircraft dope bonding process was approved in July 1955 and a few months la- ter the Epoxy resin bonding pro- cess was developed and approv- ed. Each process has distinct advantages and disadvantages but if both processes and meth- ods are combined at a slight in- it created too much turbulence. crease in labor and material, the industry. The Parasol Champ! A smaller windshield is being advantages of both methods can A few of the specific questions made, while it is presently being be had. for which specific answers must The July, 1955 issue featured flown without any windsheld The aircraft selected for the be obtained are as follows: an Aeronca "Champion" which at all. original experiment was an Aer- a. If aircraft dope, plastics or was modified to a parasol con- The wing tips were also re- onca 7 A C with deteriorated resins are used as a bonding figuration. The parasol effect moved, and tip plates were then fabric which strip tested be- agent, is the bond of sufficient was achieved by cutting the added. tween 35 - 38 lbs., the structure strength? fuselage back down, and remov- James E. Tyndall of 5606 being satisfactory and airwor- b. At what rate will this bond ing the cabin from the fuselage, Patterson Avenue in Richmond, thy. After completion of the ex- deteriorate? still retaining the wing support Virginia, did this modification periment, the reinforced fabric c. Does the Fiberglass cloth structure, rather than construct on his Aeronca, for the total was again strip tested and show- and aircraft laminate have suf- new cabane mounts. cost amounting to $550.00, which ed a tensile strength of 165 lbs. ficient tear resistance after being The standard "Champion" included the original airplane. in one direction and 125 in the finished? windshield was trimmed off a The rate of climb and speed are opposite direction. The estima- d. When applied over old fa- little, but had to be after the about the same as any other ted weight increase was approx- bric, can Fiberglass cloth be so first test flight last fall, because "Champion", but it handles imately 25-30 lbs.