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A true friend and genuine good man covering the fuslage as he told me he 
needed a project to do to stay busy. He is 87 and looks and acts 57. Key to youth is staying active. This is his 31st Covering job.and he is an A&P and an IA. He even insisted on picking it up! Dad is looking down and smiling for sure! When it comes back it will be in silver ready for paint. I am on to the empenage frames clean up and epoxy them now. Next after that will be taking the old covering off the wings (saving the Taylorcraft wire) and seeing how good or bad they are .
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Last edited by Jim Herpst; 10-14-2023, 04:07. -
See if you can get some photos of how he does the transition from the fuselage to the fin. That seems to be a problem area for a lot of guys. When done right it is down right sexy. Done wrong, well, she still flys OK. ;-) -
Hank will do. No matter what he does of course it will be ok to me anyway...I did review with him the stitching only being done at the top of the vert stab. I will look at another one he did a few years ago...Not a Taylorcraft but still very close....Originally posted by Hank Jarrett View PostComment
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Hank, as you know, I posted many years ago how the fin-to-fuselage fabric should be, in my opinion. Here is my link:
https://www.taylorcraft.org.uk/Brey_...erior%20fabric (about a 1/4 of the way down the page).
Now: many keen-eyed eager readers here may see that is in not in accordance with any Fabric manuals or Taylorcraft manuals, documents, TCDS or other very old and ancient documents or drawings which provide definitive evidence how the fin-to-fuselage fabric join should be completed.
It is just good practice, given the strength of modern materials.
In the USA, your IA is the ultimate decider.
Here in the UK, the CAA (also part of ICAO) approved this type of fuselage-to-fin fabric attachment.
RobComment
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And yes, Jim...just stitch the top rib of the fin.
RobComment
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If you intend to operate the aircraft in a certificated catagory, the joints must be made in accodance with acceptable data.
The system your using will have an STC. The STC will have explicit instructions on how all the joints must be made. This is the acceptable data.
Polyfiber for example states that all joints not made around structure must be stitched, and several options for the type of stiching are specified. Note that the stc specifically excludes stringers from structure.
Your very generous colleague likely knows all this but it basically boils down to two options.
1. Cover the fuselage sides including the fin with one piece that extends from the lower longerons to the upper longerons, with a seperate belly piece. The top is covered separately with glue joints at the upper fuselage longerons, and stiched to the side fabric at the fin to fuselage transition.
2. Use two pieces of fabric with a machine sewn joint that will run from the fin to the windshield. This method provides for enough fabric to cover the fin without joints at the fuselage top longerons. Presewn envelopes will be a variation of this method. Be aware that it is quite difficult to end up with a straight seam because the shrinking proccess will pull it in different directions at different points along the top. Envelopes may have more than one seam to deal with.
S
Scott
CF-CLR Blog: http://c-fclr.blogspot.ca/Comment
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Scott,Originally posted by Scott View Post
Yes he probably does know that however thank you for the reminder. He is an A&P and also an IA and has done around 30 complete covering jobs exclusively with Polyfiber.
I believe he uses your option 2. method as this is how he did his Interstate and in conversion has mentioned a machine sewing process..
Thanks again!Comment
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Yup. Definitely what you outlined Scott as the number 2 method. I worked with him today on the initial layout. . After some lay out work on the floor of two pieces on top of each other , then laying these upside down over a wire he runs from the top of the tail to the windshield, then sews that seam , then lays it again upside down over the wire then marks a center line from the top of the fin down to a temporary wood strip that runs on the top of the fuselage from the bottom of the fin to the windshield . He then sews that . He then cuts that along the seam out with pinking shears along the tail to fuselage center line Material is then turned over (He says he will use the excess material cut out for the bottom of the fuselage i believe is what he said as he asked me if I was ok with a tape line at the bottom ) Any way it was a good part of an afternoons work. He has his system down pat.Top pic was the "final pic of the day . Bottom two were from the ]beginning. He most recently did an Interstate Cadet which I inspected. His seam was lazer straight .
Last edited by Jim Herpst; 10-31-2023, 20:29.Comment
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Bottom of fuslage covered yesterday. Tighten today. Top also to begin todayComment
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