Fabric bodys????

[ouh506]

I'll be building my own body when the time comes and trying to think the process through.
Has anybody seen or made a simple "T" type roadster body using fabrac, like WW 1 airplanes?

Fred

 

[Bonehead]

Have not done it, but I grew up around planes and have helped patch and re fabric, some planes. Are you using wood, or steel for a frame? Just be aware that the fabric tightens down and pulls hard on the frame. Sounds like a fun project.

 

[ouh506]

Have not done it, but I grew up around planes and have helped patch and re fabric, some planes. Are you using wood, or steel for a frame? Just be aware that the fabric tightens down and pulls hard on the frame. Sounds like a fun project.

I will use steel for the frame work,I can't picture how it would look with the "spars"( I think that's what they're called) running horizantal or vertical.The dips inbetween the spar's is what has me worried.

Fred

 

[harleyboy]

I owned and flew 4 different fabric airplanes over an 11 year period. The best at that time ('85 to '96) was called Ceconite. You won't have to worry about it sagging between the spars because it is heated and shrunk over the spars and is tight. Most of the time if someone didn't feel it they would think it was metal. Cool idea. Harleyboy

 

[Unkl Ian]

Part of the "trick" will be in getting the right fabric,and coating.

I think some of the North West Vintage Speedster guys have used fabric
to make bodies.They don't have any HP,so saving weight is a good idea.

 

[Sniper]

Stringers are the outer structure that gives the item, be it a plane or car, the finished shape. Spars are the "beams" within the wings that carry the load. Dacron is the modern day fabric, where it used to be Irish linen, or Grade A cotton. One thing you shouldn't do is paint it with automotive paint. After the first or second year the paint will have gassed off the elastiziers that kept it plyable. It will get hard and crack and or peel due to the flex and movement of the fabric skin. The aircraft "paint" is either a butyrate (which is the most common) or nitrate (which can burn up real quick if subject to a heat source). The idea is great, but find out what you can, on using either cotton or dacron. Also the finish required, so you don't have a lot of problems down the road. The one cool thing with butyrate, you can brush it on and it will dry to the touch in about 10 min. and look like it was sprayed. Even silver will lay down with no streaks. There is a lot of cool stuff about it all, but it dose come with it's own problems. Dacron is shrunk with heat, where cotton will shrink with additional coats of butyrate. Dacron in is a plastic, and very hardy. Where cotton is a cellulose and can rot out over a period of years. Dacron can be a pain to get to lay down over a tight compoud curve or corner, cotton when wetted with dope, (butyrate) will lay out with no problem at all. Check out the EAA, Wag-aero, Wicks, Stits, and any homebuilt airplane site and you can find a whack of info on the subject. Best of luck. Sniper

 

[Willowbilly3]

I have had that thought ramdomly over the years too so it will be interesting to see someone actually pull it off. I did see a mudder jeep with a fabric body one years ago but it wasn't doped.

 

[ouh506]

Thanks for the information guys,I'll look into the EAA web sites.I want to pull this idea off in some way.

Fred

 

[Sniper]

Ok, I did a little poking around the net and found this. Google (N.W. Vintage Speedster), there's a lot of info on this site. But the thing that should interest you is the M&M Speedster Body. It's a T frame with a white oak framed body with a fabric cover. You might not want the particular car or plans, but the info your looking for is there. Hope it helps out. Sniper

 

[Bonehead]

http://nwvs.org/index.shtml

Cool site!