wipe it with acetone but be careful not to let it seep under the seams. that will clean it as much as you can clean it. scuff before painting, not sure if dope will stick. i can send you some samples to test if you'd like.
1977 Super Decathlon 8KCAB Rebuild
- Thread starter Bartman
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Bob Turner
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Thanks! Never considered acetone - will try it tomorrow. I have scraps - I use them on my Cub when I have small boo-boos.
ready for the first round of shrinking i hope!
the plan was to not tack down the window and door frames until after the first shrink cycle which, i hope, was a great idea on my part!
champ guy
Active member
I like the idea of the first shrink before attaching fabric to window and door frames. That should avoid wrinkles from the extra fabric at the corners.
Well, I guess that I will do that on the next airplane!
Well, I guess that I will do that on the next airplane!
I figured the large area of the windows and doors would allow for a lot of extra pull in case there were areas that didn't want to lay out properly. I cut the window open last night and it laid out fine so I think it's good. the fabric has only been through one round of 250 degree shrinking so the slack is out of it but it's not that tight
ignore my fugly patch in the wing root. i forgot to pull the fuel lines through and didn't want to bend the tube. my "quick patch" fought back and the scuffle that followed got ugly
did the left side by cutting the windows open then gluing the fabric. trying something different on the right side.
moved it along today with tapes on the vertical stab and belly fabric supports. also did a 2" tape for the belly center stringer that i am going to reinforce with a 3" tape but no pic. my stress level is so much lower with the big fabric panels on!!!
Working my way around the fuselage with tapes and patches (the factory dwg refers to them as patches 
). I think my patch at the leading edge of the horizontal stab is a little bit bigger than needed! Rather than doing the leading edge of the fin in one piece and making relief cuts to help it past the radius where it transitions into the fuselage, I made it in three pieces and it worked out pretty well.
). I think my patch at the leading edge of the horizontal stab is a little bit bigger than needed! Rather than doing the leading edge of the fin in one piece and making relief cuts to help it past the radius where it transitions into the fuselage, I made it in three pieces and it worked out pretty well.
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Hiperbiper
Well-known member
It looks nice Bartman!
Chris
Chris
Fabric is done and the radio and transponde
r survived their first encounter with flowing electrons! Apr 25 is the big moving day, everything goes back to ACA and hopefully comes back a freshly completes 8KCAB Super Decathlon!
r survived their first encounter with flowing electrons! Apr 25 is the big moving day, everything goes back to ACA and hopefully comes back a freshly completes 8KCAB Super Decathlon!
Getting everything ready for the trip to ACA next week. Best case they have it done over the summer, worst case, well, let's not talk about worst case!
Just wanted to say I'm on day two of trying to sit still long enough to organize all of the paperwork! There are flight manual supplements for all of the new stuff, 337 forms, plus all of the log entries have to be written. There are receipts everywhere, files on three different computers, it's a lot of work! Kudos to all of you that do this for a living!
Just wanted to say I'm on day two of trying to sit still long enough to organize all of the paperwork! There are flight manual supplements for all of the new stuff, 337 forms, plus all of the log entries have to be written. There are receipts everywhere, files on three different computers, it's a lot of work! Kudos to all of you that do this for a living!
Bruce
Well-known member
Looking good, looks like a lot more inspection places than I added, as for the paperwork well that took a lot of time and I’m still waiting on my registration that was sent in December I e mailed the FAA last week and they said they are now working on Jan paperwork and mine was received feb 27 funny the check was cashed December 23 I think.
Rickw
Well-known member
I mailed my paperwork Dec 3 and still nothing
The plates are per the factory drawing and my IA said it doesn't hurt to put the rings in even if you never open them up so I just went by the drawing.
If you go back and look a the first few pics, I wasn't sure I'd get a new registration so I did that first! It was right before Covid hit so they processed it pretty quickly and it was just extended for 7 years or something like that. Is yours ready to fly? Can't you fly it with proof you submitted the registration application?
Bruce
Well-known member
Interesting I kept the pattern of inspection rings that were on the plane I did add some to the wings as well.like you said easer then needing to add later, the plane is now ready to fly I have taxied it around but until it’s registered in my name I don’t want to take a chance of damage or worse someone being hurt and the insurance co using that as reason to deny a claim. I did end up with some fuel leaks which caused the paint to bubble. I thought I used 100 LL but since my jugs had been used for auto gas there must of been some residual in containers so now I have to rework some of the paint. I went to sun and Fun and spent some time with the Stewart’s for advice, they were very helpful. Now one fuel leak was where the fuel line goes around the Aleron pulley, I checked every thing before assembly and it was good but after wings went on I formed the fuel line around pulley and it cracked. Opps. So after putting in 5 gallon of fuel it looked good then started searching the rest of the plane and it started leaking off trailing edge of wing. The other thing was the gascolator believe or not it didn’t leak till day 3 of fuel in tanks. The o ring seals must have dried out from sitting. So new o ring kit and good to go so sitting waiting on the registration.
Bob Turner
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On the inspection rings: really give some consideration to aluminum. Steve Pierce makes them in .020. I prefer .032, but any metal will do. The plastic rings break, and do not hold either sheet metal screws or Tinnerman nuts for long - and if you are wood spar you will be glueing little crescents of aluminum in there every year on one or more openings.
This is really the only flaw in my Decathlon cover - done by true experts in 1992.
This is really the only flaw in my Decathlon cover - done by true experts in 1992.
we leave in the morning!
Rickw
Well-known member
good luck