ORIGINAL: maukaonyx
Just my 2 cents: This is a trainer and it WILL be abused. Even if you get it covered with the right kind of silk, it will not be good for repairing as will most likely be needed at some or many points in time. Silk is fragile and a lot of work to get it right is required...it is an art form really. I used it on rubber and flow free flight planes many eons ago. Just go with an iron on covering, use the coverite woven one if you want that silk woven appearance. You can work this stuff easier and then repair it easier too. These coverings are tougher than silk also. And a previous response was correct IMO...heat iron was not used to shrink the silk. After it was adhered to the frame with dope, it was lightly sprayed with water and allowed to dry and shrink at the same time. Only then do you find if you applied it well enough to avoid wrinkles all over the place. Jon
maukaonyx (and readers),
Just my 1/2 cents
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I certainly agree that as a trainer it will be abused.
That is a very good reason to be well glued with "glue fillets" and covered with light but strong fabric to minimize damages in a crash.
I do not know about "the right kind of silk". Silk is either genuine or its appearance and touch is artificially created by manufacturing processes.
I am convinced that whenever it is stated that silk is weak is because artificial silk was being used. The manufacaturng process destroys the fabric filaments to give it that smooth touch and sheen andloose the filaments strength.
Genuine silk from the worms is very strong. It has one of the highest strength to weight ratio.
In the old days, women could buy genuine silk stockings..I used an old pair of these silk stockings to cover the wings of my Piper Super Cruiser (72" wingspan) and those wings are still in good shape and still tight as a drum over 50 years later. I posted a recent picture of part of these wings recently showing the lack of cracking. Of course the dope will crack if the fabric is giving up. Genuine silk will last for decades.
Fabric to be doped should not be adhered to the frame work with dope. Additional coats of dope penetrate the previous layers to form a single overall layer. This soften the previous layers and the gluing will (does) slip.
A glue that, after cured, is not attacked by dope has to be used.
Doped fabric can be repaired that no signs of repair is achievable. The new dope used with the repair patch fuses into the original dope and can be wet sanded with 400 or 600 grit and make the patch completely disappear. I do not know any other finish that can do that; it is particularly advantageous for nice models made for show or contest purposes.
Voila ___another 1/2 cent of experience with the only finish I ever used.
Zor