Covering the wings

I now know several thing: that the Carbon Cub wing is also called a “bad boy”; when Steve and Armando take their break; that it is way bad to get a wrinkle when gluing down the fabric on the wing tip; and that Mitch does not joke about Armondo’s height. I can’t count the number of times I have watched the wing covering video, but it has been really helpful and each viewing typically answered another, perhaps subtle, question.

1. The wing in the video does not have a landing light or extended fuel so a few tips follow. Before covering the top of the wing, Poly Tak is placed on the inner rib, and forward and aft locations where the fabric will eventually be cut out to expose the fuel tanks. A liberal ( I hate that word ) coat is applied and left to dry. I taped off the areas to assure a perfectly straight glue line, removing the tape before the glue was completely dry.

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Glue is NOT pre-applied in the notch with the nut plates on the forward and aft edges in which the cover is placed.

After the first 250 degree shrink, the glue that had been pre applied is activated with MEK. After it dries the fabric over the tank is cut open, leaving about a 3/8 inch piece of fabric around all four edges. We cut notches in the fabric to avoid interference with the nut plates on rib number three.

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Gluing fabric on the underside of the third rib is a challenge made easier by using a flat piece of metal. On the first rib we simply trimmed it flush using a razor blade since the fabric is under no tension.

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The fabric needs to be tightly secured to the notch where the cover sets. A tongue depressor was used to make sure the fabric was tightly secured to the notch as the Poly Tak dried.

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2. The same technique was used on the landing light.

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After the 250 degree shrink, the fabric over the landing light opening was marked with a pencil line about ¼” from the edge all the way around. The line was then dabbed with Poly Tak to prevent it from fraying. An Xacto or razor blade was used to cut along the line, keeping it as straight as possible. This was then glued in place to create a neat, straight edge.

3. After repeated openings of the Poly Tak can it did not want to seal well due the accumulation of glue. When we started the second can a small section of Saran Wrap placed over the opening before the lid was placed to seal without the mess. After a few openings a new piece is used.

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4. After the final shrink we noticed the second, bottom false rib had bowed slightly. If left, the row of rivets along it length would not have been in a straight line when viewed from front or rear. Accessing the rib in the space between the fuel tanks. we used tongue depressors to gently push it back in place, holding them with a folded towel, and making sure the tongue was not in direct contact with the fabric. We will leave this ‘crutch’ in place until it is Poly Brushed and riveted.

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