Fabric Cover

[Vince Carucci]

I'm trying to figure out how many yards of fabric I need to purchase to cover my LE? I'm estimating about 30 yards (72" wide). Is that even close?

[jrbirdman47]

Vince, I was guessing about 27 or 28 yards at that width for myself. What kind of cover system are you planning to use?

[Vince Carucci]

Thanks for the reply, it was helpful. As for the specifics... undecided at this time. I was thinking of Poly-tak and Poly-fiber from ACS. But I'm going to do this in my basement over the winter and should probably think about the fumes. I have to do a little more research.

[Steve]

Strongly suggest you consider this thread and process:

https://www.eaglersnest.com/forum/index.php?topic=671.msg3606#msg3606

[CHARLES DEBOER]

I used the Stuart System. No Fumes.  Been flying my plane for 4 years with no issues.  Still looks great.  Many U-tube videos on line.  It may add a little extra weight but very minimal.  Easy to use excellent results as a first time builder.

[Vince Carucci]

I think I made up my mind. I am going to use SUPERFLITE SF104 72" fabric from ACS for $7.75/yard, and 3M FASTBOND from Amazon $36.95/quart. 
I've had no luck finding 1.8 oz. fabric in a 60-62" width anywhere. This SF104 has the same specs as the other lightweight material but cost about $3 less than the next lowest price. So unless someone has a cautionary tale about it... and the 3M is about half the price of the Stewart EKO-BOND. Sometimes it's as simple as that.

[914pete]

Hi Vince, newbie here. Is this not appropriate because it is too heavy?
https://www.aircraftspruce.com/pages/cs/dacron/peelply4.php
Never covered an airplane before and am considering different options.

[Vince Carucci]

Yeah, my guess would be it's too heavy. Not only is the fabric weight nearly twice what's recommended, but it will also hold more primer/paint. Making weight is enough of a challenge already. So I am going to get the 72" fabric at 1.8 oz. and just try to be economical with the usage.

Trying to build this on budget is half the fun, not an absolute necessity for me. That's why if one person knows something worrisome about SF104, I'll choose differently.

[Kamcoman77]

Peel Ply has many good uses, I'm sure. However, I will stick with Dacron/Ceconite/Superflite fabric since it was designed to cover airplanes. There are some Legal Eagle builders that have used Peel Ply. If they will respond here with what it took to make it work safely, I may change my mind, but somewhere I read that certain glues do not hold fast to Peel Ply since the fabric is "slicker" than Dacron.

[914pete]

I really wanted to try Oratex. Even bought a sample kit of it and made a test panel. Unfortunately, it's pretty expensive and the shipping is very expensive. Enjoying the build but want to keep costs down. 28-30 yrds of something 72" should cover the wings and tail feathers?

[Kamcoman77]

Oratex is great, but the cost is too rich for my blood. I'm using the linen colored 3M glue and the lite Superflite fabric. I figure it will take 10 yards for each wing panel, 5-yards for the top of each and 5-yards for the bottom of each. That allows for overlap at the leading & trailing edges and wrapping over the root & tip airfoil. Leaves a little waste, but some is inevitable. If you cut carefully, another 10 yards should cover all the tail. Only thing left is how much of the fuselage you want covered with fabric. I made a scale drawing of the fabric outline on paper, then drew the wings and empennage on it. I can't find my drawing right now, though.

[Vince Carucci]

This topic has moved from "what I plan to do" to "what I did".  

I placed an order for 27 yards SF104 and Stewart EKOBOND from ACS.

[Mark Kramer]

Hi guys,

Little late jumping in on this one, but I’m nearing the fabric stage and could use some help. Fabric covering is all new to me.I am leaning towards the SF104 light weight fabric, even though there was a comment posted on the acs site saying not to use sf104 on light weight structures because of warping. Would proper iron temps and the right procedures negate that from happening with that particular fabric. Also l intend to use the waterborne adhesive. Don’t want the toxic odors. Has anyone used the 3M fast bond? Does it work as well as the Ekobond? Also, am I correct in assuming the next step after fabric glueing on, would be the reddish colored stuff,polybrush? Not sure what it does. Any help I can get thru this covering process would be immensely appreciated.

Thanks
Mark

[Kamcoman77]

If you use the SF104 fabric and Fastbond you would not use the "red stuff". You are correct about warping the frame. Using the higher 350° temp as a final shrink may bow the empennage frame. Using less heat will alleviate this issue. Search Stewart Systems on YouTube and watch their excellent videos. The Fastbond is what most of us believe is the same glue as Stewart System EkoBond glue. The "red stuff" is part of the Poly-Fiber system. The two systems should not be mixed. Pick one or the other and go with it. The Poly-Fiber system has been around since the 50's or 60's and has been used to cover a lot of airplanes, homebuilt and certificated. Stewart Systems is a newer waterbased technology that does not have the fumes the Poly-Fiber system has. I like two specific things about the Stewart's over the Poly-Fiber. One, there are no dangerous to breath or flammable fumes, and two, you can paint the glue on complete portions of your airframe and come back later that day or the next day and put the fabric on. With Poly-Fiber, you put the glue on in short applications and immediately place the fabric down because the Poly-Tak (glue) dries quickly and should be wet to bond fabric.

[Mark Kramer]

Awesome, your help is greatly appreciated. Definitely planning on Stewart system. Been watching videos to the point my brain hurts, but I think it is starting to sink in... maybe. As far as priming the wing before cover, I wonder if it matters what I use so long as it is cured before starting the covering process. I have a can of minwax oil based urethane spar varnish and am wondering if I can use it. Thinned out a bit of course.