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Dacron life

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occom

Joined: 26 Aug 2006
Posts: 404

Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:34 am Post subject: Dacron life

My KF IV 1050 was originally covered with the  lightweight fabric, a weak option to start IMO. I was spraying eco-fill on the  wings being recovered in med fabric yesterday, and started thinking  anout the Beaver and the Skyranger that reside at the airport. 

  

 The Beaver has had what I think was a factory  zipper-on wing cover that looks like poly-spray without finish.  The skyranger has a factory coloured red/white lace on cover that light shines  right through. 

  

 Now I live in Nova Scotia at 45º, not exactly sun  central. How long would unprotected dacron last? Does the strength of the sun  matter. Does anyone know?

  

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Jim Shumaker

Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 106

Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 10:00 am Post subject: Dacron life

Unprotected dacron will deteriorate very quickly.  Hang gliders used to last about 3 years and they were folded and out of the sun most of the time.  The unprotected envelopes on the ultralights is done strictly to save weight.   

  

Jim Shumaker 



 

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Jim Shumaker

Michel

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 966
Location: Norway

Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 10:28 am Post subject: Dacron life

 	  Quote: 	
		   From: James Shumaker [jimshumaker(at)sbcglobal.net]

 Unprotected dacron will deteriorate very quickly.

Well ... if Dacron is Dacron and the same as what we use to make sails, it looks quite resistant to me. I've had sails for at least 20 years. What goes first are the seams, though. It looks like the thread used to sew them is less UV resistant.
	




Cheers,

Michel Verheughe

Norway

Kitfox 3 - Jabiru 2200 ... flying as a PAX.

<pre><b><font size  color="#000000" face="courier new,courier">

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Kitfox 3 - Jabiru 2200

Float Flyr

Joined: 19 Jul 2006
Posts: 2704
Location: Campbellton, Newfoundland

Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 7:36 am Post subject: Dacron life

Several certified aircraft require their coverings to be tested around every five years with the recommendation to replace skins after 15 yr.  That was the recommendation with Egyptian cotton.  Newer Dacron cloths do deteriorate with UV light.  However on most planes they are finished with UV blocker and I have seen twenty year old jobs that look perfect.  The sails used on most UL are not finished and do not have the UV blocker.  I think the recommendation with those is to replace then every five years... every second year if the plane is left outside.   

   

If you have unfinished Dacron, it's the same stuff as Ceconite, then I would get someone who has flown that material for several years to have a look at it.    

   

As for the 45 deg N., remember that the ozone levels are thinnest at the poles, make that circles, (arctic) and you're more than halfway there.  Our summer days are also a lot longer so a plane left out is actually subjected to a lot more UV than one in, say Florida.  

   

Michel's sails don't often get to any altitude where UV light levels are higher and worst case scenario he would just put up another sail or heave to and sew the one he was using....  You can't do that at 1000 ft. J  

   

   

[img]cid:image001.jpg(at)01C91733.DAC8BF50[/img]  

   

Noel Loveys  

Campbellton, NL, Canada  

CDN AME intern, PP-Rec  

C-FINB, Kitfox III-A  

Aerocet 1100 floats  

[url=noelloveys(at)yahoo.ca]noelloveys(at)yahoo.ca[/url]  

   

   

   

   

   

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Michel

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 966
Location: Norway

Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 8:02 am Post subject: Dacron life

 	  Quote: 	
		   From: Noel Loveys [noelloveys(at)yahoo.ca] 

 Michel's sails don't often get to any altitude where UV light levels are

 higher


	


Hum, that's right, Noel. My mast is high but not that high! 



Michel



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Kitfox 3 - Jabiru 2200

JetPilot

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 1246

Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 8:46 am Post subject: Re: Dacron life

Unprotected Dacron wing coverings go bad very quickly in sunlight...  You can put a clear UV protectant on them that will help, but its effectiveness is limited and they will still go bad very quickly if left outside.   The reason these slip on coverings are used is ease of installation.  Many " Ultralight " guys are intimidated by covering...  I was at first, did not want any part of it !!    I have learned a lot since then    



Unprotected Poly Fiber will lose 85 % of its strength in ONE YEAR according to the company.   When covering your airplane, make sure you do a good job with the UV blocking coats, or you will have the pleasure of recovering your plane again very quickly   



Mike

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"NO FEAR" - If you have no fear you did not go as fast as you could have !!!

Kolb MK-III Xtra, 912-S

Float Flyr

Joined: 19 Jul 2006
Posts: 2704
Location: Campbellton, Newfoundland

Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 9:42 am Post subject: Dacron life

If you, like I, fly on floats it's a good idea to make sure your whole airplane is treated with a good black out blocker.   

   

 Poly spray is a good one but for those experimenting with house paint, black should work.  Just don't leave the wings/ upper surfaces black because they will heat up with the sun and cause the fabric to sag...  not good either on or off the ground.  This is why all the planes with composite wings generally have then white or off white colouration.  

   

   

[img]cid:image001.jpg(at)01C91745.6D8736D0[/img]  

   

Noel Loveys  

Campbellton, NL, Canada  

CDN AME intern, PP-Rec  

C-FINB, Kitfox III-A  

Aerocet 1100 floats  

[url=noelloveys(at)yahoo.ca]noelloveys(at)yahoo.ca[/url]  

   

   

   

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Noel Loveys
Kitfox III-A
Aerocet 1100 Floats

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