---------------------------------------------------------- Kolb-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Sat 01/28/23: 3 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 05:34 PM - fuselage fabric for Firestar (Jay Dub) 2. 08:08 PM - Re: fuselage fabric for Firestar (Stuart Harner) 3. 09:58 PM - Re: fuselage fabric for Firestar (Jay Dub) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 05:34:05 PM PST US From: Jay Dub Subject: Kolb-List: fuselage fabric for Firestar I'm finishing up my tail feathers tonight (or hope to nearly finish up) and have laid out the fabric on my upside down fuselage. One piece of fabric 8' long by 72" wide looks like it will cover it all. Do I need to cut that fabric and glue it like the drawings, then try to piece the sides with the cut scraps from the one piece? Is it in the plans like that to use leftover scraps from other parts? It seems simpler to use 1 piece and be done but perhaps they want more glue joints to the frame? Not sure which way to go. Anyone that's done a firestar, do you have any suggestions? I don't have anymore spare fabric. Jay ________________________________ Message 2 _____________________________________ Time: 08:08:30 PM PST US Subject: Re: Kolb-List: fuselage fabric for Firestar From: Stuart Harner One would think that if you have one piece big enough to do it all that would be the way to go. Easier to install and fewer lap joints to come up later. For the Firefly, I ordered two yards more they specified and didn't waste much. When I was done there was only about a yard left. Glad I got the extra up front. I don't think the welded fuselage would care which technique you use. It is the only part of the airplane that I used full heat of 350 though. On 1/28/23 19:33, Jay Dub wrote: > > I'm finishing up my tail feathers tonight (or hope to nearly finish up) and have laid out the fabric on my upside down fuselage. One piece of fabric 8' long by 72" wide looks like it will cover it all. Do I need to cut that fabric and glue it like the drawings, then try to piece the sides with the cut scraps from the one piece? Is it in the plans like that to use leftover scraps from other parts? It seems simpler to use 1 piece and be done but perhaps they want more glue joints to the frame? > > Not sure which way to go. Anyone that's done a firestar, do you have any suggestions? I don't have anymore spare fabric. > > Jay > > ________________________________ Message 3 _____________________________________ Time: 09:58:40 PM PST US From: Jay Dub Subject: Re: Kolb-List: fuselage fabric for Firestar Hi Stuart, I'm thinking the 1 piece makes it easy but in the back of my mind I wonder if the reason for it in the plans was because you have fabric glued around the bottom tubes. Next you have the fabric glued around the top tubes then you make your overlap. That gives you 2 spots you are anchored to tubes all the way around the perimeter: one high and one low. If I do one piece I will only anchor at the top. I don't know that it makes a difference so that's why I ask. I was able to take the fabric up to 350F on my wings and 320F on everything else. I'll do 350F on the fuselage too as I can't see that distorting. At 320F my elevators bowed just a little bit but I was able to straighten them back. When I was making a covering list, I looked over your website and saw you ordered 30 yards for a Firefly and I know the Firestar has longer wings and a longer fuselage. Aircraft Spruce had an ultralight estimate of 25 yds Uncertified light fabric, 3 rolls of 2" pinked tape, 1 roll of 3" pinked tape, plus all the Polyfiber stuff. By the time I ordered the material I knew I was going to do the weinerdogaero latex method so I didn't need to order polyfiber liquids. Anyhow I ordered 35 yards of Superflite 104 uncertified, 3 rolls of 2" tape (only used 1 1/2 of them), and I did use some of the 3" tape on the wings. You had about 1 yard left over. I am not short on my fabric but I also do not have any length left over, not even 6". Sure I have a box of cut scraps but they are all cut offs. I'm glad I was careful when laying out my parts as I almost was short. When I cut the fabric for one elevator I made a mistake and it was too long so there was a little extra scrap there. Thanks for keeping your website up as that was a big help when I couldn't find any lists for how much a Firestar 2 needed. Jay Sent:Saturday, January 28, 2023 at 9:08 PM From:"Stuart Harner" To:kolb-list@matronics.com Subject:Re: Kolb-List: fuselage fabric for Firestar One would think that if you have one piece big enough to do it all that would be the way to go. Easier to install and fewer lap joints to come up later. For the Firefly, I ordered two yards more they specified and didn't waste much. When I was done there was only about a yard left. Glad I got the extra up front. I don't think the welded fuselage would care which technique you use. It is the only part of the airplane that I used full heat of 350 though. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Matronics Email List Services ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post A New Message kolb-list@matronics.com UN/SUBSCRIBE http://www.matronics.com/subscription List FAQ http://www.matronics.com/FAQ/Kolb-List.htm Web Forum Interface To Lists http://forums.matronics.com Matronics List Wiki http://wiki.matronics.com Full Archive Search Engine http://www.matronics.com/search 7-Day List Browse http://www.matronics.com/browse/kolb-list Browse Digests http://www.matronics.com/digest/kolb-list Browse Other Lists http://www.matronics.com/browse Live Online Chat! http://www.matronics.com/chat Archive Downloading http://www.matronics.com/archives Photo Share http://www.matronics.com/photoshare Other Email Lists http://www.matronics.com/emaillists Contributions http://www.matronics.com/contribution ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These Email List Services are sponsored solely by Matronics and through the generous Contributions of its members.