Fabric and paint story
Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2020 12:03 am
Have you done any fabricing and painting Mr. Colonel? An interesting story.
"Positive Proof that I Don’t Hold an A & P Certificate
OK, Ok … here comes a really dumb pilot-induced maintenance problem that only a guy who has 350 hours of flying experience could pull off.
The Champs were all fabric covered airplanes … a bag of rags as an American Airlines pilot friend of mine used to call it. When I bought it, the airplane had just been recovered and repainted, apparently I’d find out later by someone who was practically clueless about what paint to use on fabric.
Within a few months of buying the airplane, the paint began peeling on the top of the wings right at the high point of the ribs. Little by little, it got worse and worse until I thought for sure the exposed fabric was going to start to rot.
Enter America’s favorite product that holds everything to everything else … Silver Duct Tape. I thought if I taped over the fabric at the wing ribs, that everything would be perfect … a little ugly maybe, but better than rotting fabric.
So here’s my precious little airplane with what looked like stripes of Duct Tape on the top of the wings, ready for a four-hour cross country. What I didn’t know was that even the mighty Duct Tape won’t stand up to 115 mph wind. After just a few hours, the silver coating began to peel.
By the time I got back to KPWK, the tower asked me I was in trouble because of the things flying along behind. I had no idea what they were talking about until after taxiing in, I watched a bunch of folks on the ramp walk up to me like I had lost my mind.
There, hanging from the back of the wings were at least six or eight large silver streamers of Duct Tape following behind like I’d just left a birthday party.
People still laugh at that one.
Boy I miss that little airplane. It was more fun than getting paid to fly.
And one of the dumbest decisions I will ever have made was to sell N9MK.
I thought at the time it was a pretty good deal. I bought it in 1974 for $2500. I sold it three years later for $3500 after having logged over 600 hours. Today, my friend Brian Jacobson at the National Aircraft Appraisers Association says my bird would be worth about $26,000.
Go figure.
You Can Go Home Again … Maybe
The good news is that my old airplane is alive and well living around the Minneapolis area. I’ve got to stop in and have that owner take me for a ride.
For those of you with a license, think back. What airplane stands out most in your memory?
If you’re still learning to fly or hope to, tell us what gets your blood pumping?
Fly safe!
"Positive Proof that I Don’t Hold an A & P Certificate
OK, Ok … here comes a really dumb pilot-induced maintenance problem that only a guy who has 350 hours of flying experience could pull off.
The Champs were all fabric covered airplanes … a bag of rags as an American Airlines pilot friend of mine used to call it. When I bought it, the airplane had just been recovered and repainted, apparently I’d find out later by someone who was practically clueless about what paint to use on fabric.
Within a few months of buying the airplane, the paint began peeling on the top of the wings right at the high point of the ribs. Little by little, it got worse and worse until I thought for sure the exposed fabric was going to start to rot.
Enter America’s favorite product that holds everything to everything else … Silver Duct Tape. I thought if I taped over the fabric at the wing ribs, that everything would be perfect … a little ugly maybe, but better than rotting fabric.
So here’s my precious little airplane with what looked like stripes of Duct Tape on the top of the wings, ready for a four-hour cross country. What I didn’t know was that even the mighty Duct Tape won’t stand up to 115 mph wind. After just a few hours, the silver coating began to peel.
By the time I got back to KPWK, the tower asked me I was in trouble because of the things flying along behind. I had no idea what they were talking about until after taxiing in, I watched a bunch of folks on the ramp walk up to me like I had lost my mind.
There, hanging from the back of the wings were at least six or eight large silver streamers of Duct Tape following behind like I’d just left a birthday party.
People still laugh at that one.
Boy I miss that little airplane. It was more fun than getting paid to fly.
And one of the dumbest decisions I will ever have made was to sell N9MK.
I thought at the time it was a pretty good deal. I bought it in 1974 for $2500. I sold it three years later for $3500 after having logged over 600 hours. Today, my friend Brian Jacobson at the National Aircraft Appraisers Association says my bird would be worth about $26,000.
Go figure.
You Can Go Home Again … Maybe
The good news is that my old airplane is alive and well living around the Minneapolis area. I’ve got to stop in and have that owner take me for a ride.
For those of you with a license, think back. What airplane stands out most in your memory?
If you’re still learning to fly or hope to, tell us what gets your blood pumping?
Fly safe!
