Hello, I’m brand new to your site. I’m dealing on 71 7gcbc with wings replaced new several years ago that are perfect, only 200 hrs on engine but the fuselage fabric is quite flyable but looks my kids rejuvenated bad areas and painted them with my curling broom, needs a headliner etc. I’m wondering what an approximate cost in US or Cad dollars might be to recover everything and if it’s possible to install sky view sunroof if there is an STC. I would like it done perfect with no corner cutting.
71 7GCBC
- Thread starter Paully
- Start date
Hi Paully, welcome to the site, glad you found us. Are you saying the plane needs fabric/paint/headliner on just the fuselage and tail feathers or do the wings need it also?
I would want to make the plane a 10/10. The wooden spar wings were removed and a brand new set of factory wings installed a few years ago so they are perfect and don’t need touched. From there, yes, complete fusalage fabric including all elevator, rudder etc would be redone. The headliner is in rough shape so it needs replaced I guess while fabric is off is easiest, although I would like to install the skyview canopy, so less headliner I guess.
I would also like to do a metal belly possibly. One AME mentioned to make sure and check longerons and replace if necessary. This plane has been on the dry prairies most of its life, I expect longerons are fine. I supose one might want to replace the wood stringers etc while doing this, likely pretty dry after 50 years ?
Hiperbiper
Well-known member
Top glass installation easy using Rainbow Ron's upgrade kit and Citabra replacement plexi (I used L P Aero dark grey...you're gonna want SOME shading). The TCDS note # 603 covers the installation using ACA drawing 7-576 and being it's listed in the TCDS its just a logbook entry if installation is done properly.
Hope this helps.
Chris
Hope this helps.
Chris
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I'm trying to get my fuselage done and it is a never ending sequence of reinforcing tapes and patches! Imagine the work on top of that to disassemble and prep everything, I understand now why it's so expensive!
Jenina from Oratex is to send me a quote on the #6000 for fusalage/tail section including the belly in case I don’t do the metal belly. any opinions on this product? They sure brag it up as excellent and much less work involved. Videos I’ve watched the end product sure appears nice.
Sorry I can't help you with that Paully but it won't match the factory finish on the wings.
Bob Turner
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2018
- Messages
- 3,998
Go over to the J-3 Cub forum and look up ReillyR. He has Oratex experience.
I'm a huge fan of oratex! It's tough and it's light.... my favorite thing about it is it takes pu paint better than anything else. Lars preaches that it doesn't need paint but the fact is it looks like you've built a 50's vintage silk covered free flight model if you don't. Depending on which color you choose the opacity varies. I'm currently building a set of pacer wings that will be o-texed and painted.
Oratex is not stcd for aeronca, bellanca, or aca in the US, but piper is... go figure.
My favorite thing about the system is the glue... it's absolutely the toughest strongest structural glue for fabric attachment available today, once ironed down it's heat cured and done... it takes something like 400 lbs to pull it apart. Nothing else even comes close, you have to use extreme heat to remove it while pulling.
We did the control surfaces on this aircam with o-tex (white) then painted them.
Oratex is not stcd for aeronca, bellanca, or aca in the US, but piper is... go figure.
My favorite thing about the system is the glue... it's absolutely the toughest strongest structural glue for fabric attachment available today, once ironed down it's heat cured and done... it takes something like 400 lbs to pull it apart. Nothing else even comes close, you have to use extreme heat to remove it while pulling.
We did the control surfaces on this aircam with o-tex (white) then painted them.
Bob Turner
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2018
- Messages
- 3,998
If it were my aircraft, I would go for Ceconite. Stits is a very close second. But getting an STC for a Champ ought to be trivial - ask Oratex if they will add your aircraft. Stits used to do it for free.i
I think I can recover a fuselage for $500 materials. I did a Taylorcraft a couple years ago; let me check on materials cost. We used Stits.
Do you rib-stitch Oratex?
I think I can recover a fuselage for $500 materials. I did a Taylorcraft a couple years ago; let me check on materials cost. We used Stits.
Do you rib-stitch Oratex?
We only rib stich on the tank bays... every where else gets lacing, at least on piper. Lars says the Germans don't want to spend the money to stc other makes at this point.
Aeronca, Bellanca, ACA etc would need to get a field approval... shouldn't be to difficult but still a pia.
I don't care for the ceconite dope process even when Ranthane is used... I prefer the polyfiber system.... but next plane I do for myself, if I don't choose oratex i'll be using stargloss from consolidated then aerothane. I absolutely love aerothane, it's what we used on that aircam and many others, I've spent a bunch of time speaking with Gregg at consolidated about aerothane vs ranthane. It's my personal belief aerothane is a more flexible product, it was reformulated about 15 years ago and it was designed to be what it is.
Airtech, and Superflite both use a catalyzed fabric bonding uv protective base coat that sands well... Stargloss by consolidated does the same, so less coating and build up before top coat... don't get me wrong I like the total polyfiber system but it's a bit heavy (in terms of multiple coat application) for your average non OCD homebuilder... plus I very much enjoy sanding work, so the chance to get sanding sooner with star gloss is very appealing to me, its also going to be a bit lighter.... plus I just like consolidateds stuff.
Having stated all of that it's my opinion not even an excellently prepared airtech, superflight polyfiber, Stewarts (hate it) ceconite, or polyfiber systems take the topcoat as well as oratex, it simply has to be seen to be believed.
Aeronca, Bellanca, ACA etc would need to get a field approval... shouldn't be to difficult but still a pia.
I don't care for the ceconite dope process even when Ranthane is used... I prefer the polyfiber system.... but next plane I do for myself, if I don't choose oratex i'll be using stargloss from consolidated then aerothane. I absolutely love aerothane, it's what we used on that aircam and many others, I've spent a bunch of time speaking with Gregg at consolidated about aerothane vs ranthane. It's my personal belief aerothane is a more flexible product, it was reformulated about 15 years ago and it was designed to be what it is.
Airtech, and Superflite both use a catalyzed fabric bonding uv protective base coat that sands well... Stargloss by consolidated does the same, so less coating and build up before top coat... don't get me wrong I like the total polyfiber system but it's a bit heavy (in terms of multiple coat application) for your average non OCD homebuilder... plus I very much enjoy sanding work, so the chance to get sanding sooner with star gloss is very appealing to me, its also going to be a bit lighter.... plus I just like consolidateds stuff.
Having stated all of that it's my opinion not even an excellently prepared airtech, superflight polyfiber, Stewarts (hate it) ceconite, or polyfiber systems take the topcoat as well as oratex, it simply has to be seen to be believed.
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The lacing, stitching, (and riveting on citabria etc) is a requirement on the oratex system not by oratex but by the faa because that is what is on the TC...
In Europe, Germany, France etc... the oratex system is seen as new and is considered by the governing bodies to have surpassed the requirements for attaching without lacing or fasteners...
Trueley odd it's not seen that way here, as everyone knows the germans are sloppy and imprecise about their science and engineering.... lol, but ok. Some say a rag wing aircraft doesn't look right without tapes and lacing so there is that, but the oratex system with finishing tapes doesn't look right without a nice coat of flexible urethane paint... so there ya go that's what I've learned from many hours of work and finishing.
In Europe, Germany, France etc... the oratex system is seen as new and is considered by the governing bodies to have surpassed the requirements for attaching without lacing or fasteners...
Trueley odd it's not seen that way here, as everyone knows the germans are sloppy and imprecise about their science and engineering.... lol, but ok. Some say a rag wing aircraft doesn't look right without tapes and lacing so there is that, but the oratex system with finishing tapes doesn't look right without a nice coat of flexible urethane paint... so there ya go that's what I've learned from many hours of work and finishing.
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