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fiberglass work on the canopy skirt

tonyjohnson

Well Known Member
I did not do a good job of aligning my canopy skirt to the frame before I drilled holes in the skirt. I will need to fill the holes and redo the positioning of the skirt.

I also need to close up the hole I opened for the latch, which is perhaps .5 in in diameter.

I searched the archives but did not find any information on this specific topic. I know that Vans uses two types of fiberglass on our airplanes, epoxy for the cowling and polyester for the wingtips.......but I don't know what material is used for the skirt although it appears to be epoxy. My kit is old, from 1998.

Is there anything I need to know about filling the holes other than mixing up west system epoxy and smearing in into the holes? How about the .5 inch hole, does that need a mixture with microballoons?

I am just getting into the fiberglass portion of the project and have a lot to learn about it.
 
I searched the archives but did not find any information on this specific topic.

You have got to be kidding.

Is there anything I need to know about filling the holes other than mixing up west system epoxy and smearing in into the holes?

Add cabosil so it doesn't run out of the holes before cure.

How about the .5 inch hole, does that need a mixture with microballoons?

A hole that big needs a scarfed patch. Search "scarf joint".

I am just getting into the fiberglass portion of the project and have a lot to learn about it.

Moldless Composite Sandwich Aircraft Construction

http://www.amazon.com/Moldless-Compo.../dp/B000BUJP5A
 
...Vans uses two types of fiberglass on our airplanes, epoxy for the cowling and polyester for the wingtips.......but I don't know what material is used for the skirt although it appears to be epoxy...

For minor repairs on non-structural fairings and wingtips, I don't think the differences between epoxy and polyester really matter. Either will stick plenty well if you prepare the surface well (sand for tooth then acetone). Both will be plenty strong and stiff enough if built up to the thickness of the original part.

As Dan says, for a big hole do a scarfed repair with a few layers of glass. What I usually recommend is to use about one layer of 9oz glass for every .012" thickness of the original part. That is, if the skirt is .075" thick there, lay in a scarf patch with 6 ply of 9oz glass. The best 9oz glass for repairs is Hexcell style 7725, for reasons incomprehensible called "Rutan BID" (European glider makers were using its Interglas equivalent 92125 for years before Rutan came along). For really good guidance on fiberglass patches and repairs, see Ursula Hanle's "Petite Plastic Plane Patch Primer," you can probably find a copy on the web these days.

Moldless Composite Sandwich Aircraft Construction...

I persist in my conviction that moldless foam core composite construction is actually just an epoxy allergy delivery system. ;)

Thanks, Bob K.
 
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