Building a Nieuport 11...

[Saville]

Let's get to work!

So that spar was only slightly bent; I am being just nit-picky on the decision to replace it.

Slightly bent? I dunno....from the looks of it I think that amount of deformation takes it out of the "nit-picky" class and into the "smart move" category. Rigging might be simpler that way; handling characteristics might be better than if you left it in; and I think you are coming down on the side of safety by replacing it.

[Frank Giger]

Yeah, it had to go.

Upper wing spar measured, cut, drilled, and put onto the wing today. Everything lined up like it was supposed to, so this weekend I'll pumon the drag/anti-drag wires, re-attach the ribs, pound out the crinkles in the leading edge, and put it back on.

Then a day to cover the wings, a day to paint them, and it's on to the gear.

[rwanttaja]

Assuming you have to replace some of the wing fabric, you MUST hang one of the roundels on the wall of the hangar. In fact, you should get someone to shoot a few holes in it, first.

C'mon, it's Alabama...SOMEBODY'S got to own a gun.....:-)

Ron Wanttaja

[Frank Giger]

It's Alabama - I don't know anyone who has a (singular) firearm.

Both wing's fabric came off as one big piece, but the upper wing roundel hand rib stitching through part of it. The lower wing roundel is perfect, though.

I'm thinking of using it as the background of a large shadow box with the shattered prop over it.





What is amazing is the nature of the fabric. It is more like a thin leather than fabric.

Both wings will be recovered from scratch, as well as the rudder. One can only shrink it to fit once.

[martymayes]

What is amazing is the nature of the fabric. It is more like a thin leather than fabric.

Was that a latex paint finish?

[Sam Buchanan]

The latex system results in a surprisingly flexible finish. I keep a piece of latex painted fabric in the hangar just to show the doubters. The sample has been repeatedly wadded up into a ball then flattened back out. The paint has yet to crack or show any distress....the fabric is like a tough rubberized sheet.

[Frank Giger]

Household exterior latex paint FTW.

Easy to paint with, easy to repair, and looks great.

[DaleB]

Any idea how the weight compares to the more traditional method of, what, thirty or forty coats of various substances?

[Sam Buchanan]

Too many variables to make a blanket statement but it seems weight is usually comparable to traditional "dope" finishes and lighter than glossy polyurethane finishes.

But regardless of weight, I'm done with dealing with noxious MEK fumes associated with the most commonly used certificated system. I've become a convert to 3M contact adhesive (Stewart System) that is water-borne and nearly odor-free.

[Frank Giger]

Oh, the Stewart System is the best! It allows for adjusting the fabric when covering before the final heat treatment of the glue, which is perfect for a guy like me. Plus no hazardous fumes.

On latex paint, I did a lot of back-of-the-envelope working with a guess of how much paint I used and then threw away the results.

First, I don't know how much paint actually got on the aircraft. There were a bunch of pans of paint that weren't completely used and thrown out, some spillage from cans, etc. Plus I never re-used a roller. At the price it's better to just chunk the used one and grab a fresh one when starting a new color or session.

Second, I don't know how much of the weight of the paint is water (that evaporates) and how much is paint. So while I used roughly 15 pounds of paint (about two gallons) for the aircraft, most of it probably evaporated off.

Third, any weight increases over certified paint are offset by the ease of putting on regular latex paint and the cost. My plane isn't going to be penalized by an extra pound or two, and between the ten wires on the wings, the four in the center holding the cabanes, the five on the landing gear, the gun sticking over the wing on the top, and the big ugly gear itself, a super smooth finish is just trying to polish the drag turd.