---------------------------------------------------------- TeamGrumman-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Tue 12/13/05: 4 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 07:00 PM - Cowling Carbon Fiber Shortage (923te) 2. 07:22 PM - Re: Cowling Carbon Fiber Shortage (FLYaDIVE@aol.com) 3. 10:38 PM - (TeamGrumman@AOL.COM) 4. 10:44 PM - (TeamGrumman@AOL.COM) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 07:00:35 PM PST US From: "923te" <923te@cox.net> Subject: TeamGrumman-List: Cowling Carbon Fiber Shortage --> TeamGrumman-List message posted by: "923te" <923te@cox.net> Hi Gary, Have you heard anything about a Carbon Fiber Shortage? I copied a news release below. Will this affect your cowls? Are they still gong to be Carbon Fiber? Did you get my message about your cowls on your cell phone? Later, Ned Carbon Fiber Shortage Update Last Update: 12/13/05 The current international carbon fiber shortage is a result of increased consumption by the aerospace industry and a shortage of raw carbon fiber. Military orders are being filled before any commercial orders and the shortage has created hording which has additionally magnified the shortages. Since the summer of 2005, supply has been increasingly erratic and some customers are not getting shipments at all. Fibre Glast Developments is still getting shipments but we are not getting them reliably. We are not learning of incoming shipments until a day or two before they arrive. Although we pride ourselves on being able to make promises of accurate Expected Dates of backordered items, we can not make promises about carbon availability. The best way for a customer to obtain supply is to get on our quote list. When material arrives, we will allocate it based on the order in which the quote arrived. We will contact you and you will have the option to purchase the material at that time. We apologize to our many customers who have built successful businesses fabricating carbon fiber and hybrid materials in a variety of industries. This shortage is threatening the very existence of many of you. We are honoring our long term customers as best we can. This has been very harmful to our business as well. Presently, we have 50 plain weave in stock and a little of the red hybrid. We expect to see some twill and additional hybrids by the end of January but we are still without a firm promise date by our weavers. Our best information is that this shortage is going to last throughout 2006. We will keep you updated with the latest information as it becomes available. http://www.fibreglast.com/carbonfiberpage12-05 ________________________________ Message 2 _____________________________________ Time: 07:22:44 PM PST US From: FLYaDIVE@aol.com Subject: Re: TeamGrumman-List: Cowling Carbon Fiber Shortage --> TeamGrumman-List message posted by: FLYaDIVE@aol.com In a message dated 12/13/05 10:01:01 PM Eastern Standard Time, 923te@cox.net writes: > Hi Gary, > > Have you heard anything about a Carbon Fiber Shortage? I copied a news > release below. > > Will this affect your cowls? Are they still gong to be Carbon Fiber? > > Did you get my message about your cowls on your cell phone? > > Later, > Ned ======================= Ned: Carbon Fiber will absorb moisture. It should be kept in a warm dry area. Or baked before use 250 - 350 Deg F for 2 hours. It should also be kept lying flat or hanging. No tight coils or heavy weight place on them. They will splinter. Barry "Chop'd Liver" ________________________________ Message 3 _____________________________________ Time: 10:38:04 PM PST US From: TeamGrumman@AOL.COM --> TeamGrumman-List message posted by: TeamGrumman@aol.com Hi Ned, yes I did get your message. To be honest, I forgot all about the call. I am making the STC for either material so that I can make either. Right now, they are going to be made out of fiberglass. Carbon would add about $1000 to the material cost. if you want a cowling (or two) send in some deposits. Once the STC is approved, I need to raise the cost to recover my costs over about a five year period. I figure that most of the planes getting the cowling will have them within 5 years. I sold 300 eyebrows in the first 2 years. I average about 4 a year now. I'm still amazed at how many people have never heard of them or seen one. If you want a carbon fiber cowling, I can make one for you. Gary ________________________________ Message 4 _____________________________________ Time: 10:44:24 PM PST US From: TeamGrumman@AOL.COM --> TeamGrumman-List message posted by: TeamGrumman@aol.com In a message dated 12/13/05 7:23:21 PM, FLYaDIVE@aol.com writes: > Carbon Fiber will absorb moisture.=A0 It should be kept in a warm dry area.=A0 > Or > baked before use 250 - 350 Deg F for 2 hours. > It should also be kept lying flat or hanging.=A0 No tight coils or heavy > weight > place on them.=A0 They will splinter. > we would be using pre-preg. It has to be refrigerated.