Fabric Weight (Model III)

[LSaupe 123]

Will soon be covering my fuselage.  Any thoughts on best fabric weight?  Leaning towards the light weight fabric, or... does the medium make more sense?

[1avidflyer 1983]

I would think it would make sense to at least do the bottom with the heavier fabric. Especially if you plan to fly off airport at all.  I used the medium uncertified fabric from Aircraft Spruce on the last plane I did.  I will use that same stuff on my next recover.  Jim Chuk

[EDMO 1078]

I was told by Doug Stewart that the new 2.7 fabric shrinks more than the old fabric did - We learned this after bending a root rib on the J3 when the cover shrank - He says that you should only use the 1.7/1.8 fabric on the Kitfoxes. That was what the model 3 was designed to use. I agree with Jim on using the heavier on fuselage underneath, but not on the wings.

EDMO

Edited 11 Nov 2014 by Ed In Missouri

[tcj 150]

My model 4 kitfox kit came with light weight fabric for the complete airplane.  I had delusions of upgrading to a 912 and moving to Alaska in the future so bought medium weight for the wings and tail but used the light weight on the fuselage.  The light weight is much easier to work with for your doillies to go over inspection rings and such too.

[High Country 69]

FWIW- I used lightweight on all but the bottom of fuselage/ sides around the door openings and bottom of rudder/elevator, may have done the ruder in medium as well can't remember. I don't see a real need to use medium on the whole plane and as Ed mentioned shrinking the medium fabric on these light airframes can easily damage it so if you decide to go this route be careful and don't shrink it too much. 

[EDMO 1078]

From having limited experience painting fabric planes, My opinion is that the tight weave of the lightweight 1.7 fabric takes a lot less paint for a good finish than the 2.7 medium fabric. $$$ saved on fabric and paint costs...and weight-saving too.

EDMO

Edited 12 Nov 2014 by Ed In Missouri

[LSaupe 123]

Great feedback.  Thanks All.

[TJay 1041]

I think the stuff that came with my kitfox 1 kit is ceconite  103 is that decent stuff or not

[EDMO 1078]

TJay,

     the 103, 1.7 or 1.8 fabric is good as long as it has not been improperly stored by folding and creased or in sunlight for too long - the new 2.7 can really warp your bird if you try to shrink it too much - the 103 has a tighter weave than the 2.7 and takes less paint to finish, thereby saving weight and money.  This was the standard fabric supplied with the early Kitfoxes and Avids.

     If you are a Sunday Flyer from the local concrete strip, you could probably get by with tissue paper or silk covering like the model planes - but if you fly like some of the guys on here and use your prop for a brush-hog, then you need Kevlar, Carbon-fiber, or the tiles used on the space shuttle on the bottom of the fuselage and under the tail - some have used the 2.7 fabric there because it is a little tougher.  Oh, and don't forget the big roll of Gorilla tape to patch with!

    There is very little difference in the structure of the Kitfox 1, 2, and 3 models.

    That's my 2cents worth - now you can wait for the other 995 members to give you as many opinions! 

EDMO

Edited 18 Dec 2014 by Ed In Missouri

[TJay 1041]

yeah thats great to hear. looks to be stored well, still rolled up tight in boxes it came in. special thanks to Jim for helping take care of the kit.

[EDMO 1078]

TJay,

      That's what we are on this site for - to help others and get info we need - sometimes you just have to choose the answer that you think is best for you when there are several to choose from.  I trust that Jim knows a lot about these kits and birds.

Merry Christmas,

EDMO

[akflyer 1427]

I covered mine in the medium weight.. I beat the brush with mine and so far no rips in the fabric despite my best efforts to tear it up.  I think for me the added weight of a pound was probly a good trade.  A buddy had a MK IV that was covered in the light weight fabric and one good session of dragging the tail in the deep snow had us duct taping some good rips in the fuse.

 

I was very careful when I was shrinking the fabric and never went over 285 as it started bending tubes after that.  I found out the hard way that when you are covering the rudder and elevator, its kinda smart to cover them, pin them together then shrink the fabric.  I got to cover my elevator and rudder twice cause I shrunk them separate and was NEVER going to get the pins in.

 

We all know there is more than one way to skin a cat and most ways will work.  Some just keep you from getting clawed as bad as others

 

[1avidflyer 1983]

I just got a 70 yd. roll of uncertified medium fabric and 2 2'x4' ( 1/8" and 1/4' )sheets of plywood for rib tails from Aircraft Spruce today. I used that fabric on the last plane I did and am happy with it. Now if I can just kick my lazy rear hard enough to get to work on the planes to use it up. Jim Chuk

[EDMO 1078]

Jim,

     I guess I missed the "uncertified medium" fabric in spruce - Is it 2.7 and cheaper than the certified?  What is your final shrink temperature on the wings?   The 2.7 certified we got recently shrank a lot more than it seemed like the old stuff did, and Dan Stewart verified our thoughts on that when we bent the root rib on the J3.  He said to keep the temp to max 250F for the Kitfox wing.

EDMO

[akflyer 1427]

at 250 your not going to get it very tight.. I played with it on mine and settled on 285 and didn't hurt the wing.  That was the 2.7 uncertified.  I have been told more than once that the certified and uncertified comes off the same roll at the factory, it just doesn't have the PMA stamp on it.

 

[EDMO 1078]

I was wondering if both had the same weave - so I guess they have the same shrinkage.  we had to use certified on the Cub.  I know that the 1.7 can be shrinked tighter than 250.

Thanks Leni,

EdMO

[1avidflyer 1983]

I did one plane with the 2.7 oz uncertified.  Think the price was either $4.50 or $4.95 per yd. last week.  Don't remember what I shrank it to, but I think I went over 300 F with no problem.  Might have been to 325.  Jim Chuk