Wooden frame, with fabric and fiberglass resin

[audrizzle]

Thanks so much for all of the insight and links. I'm building a scale model now. I'll post some pictures of it soon. Hopefully ya'll can give me some feedback on the design and construction.

more soon...

[IASCOTT]

I would use the 2.97 oz dacron fabric.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/c ... fabric.php

This fabric is glued on and then shrunk using a iron is 3 stages. The first shrink is done ate 250 degrees then 300 and a final shrink of 350 degrees.
I'm an aircraft mechanic and I have used most of the systems out there for the chemical used to treat the fabric. The Stewart System is the one I like the best. It's water based and it doesn't stink up the shop. The glue used to glue the fabric on is the best of them all.

http://www.stewartsystems.aero/

On aircraft we run pinked edge tape over everywhere the fabric touches aircraft structure such as stringers and tubing. A person wouldn't need to do this but I would cause I would want that aircraft feel.

Scott

[mezmo]

Hi audrizzle,

Here's a link that was posted earlier in the "Off Topic"
area [and elsewhere also if I remember correctly,] that might
give you some ideas. In the least it is a very interesting
solution and is quite clever too, I think.

I would even call it inspiring !

http://www.goldbrand.info/

Enjoy!

Norm/mezmo

[cappy208]

Hey there: There's a "Harbor freight" in Fall River. They have these 4x8 trailers. Look up Harborfreight.com

There's two trains of thought on covering. the first (and most expensive) is the plastic shrink wrap type stuff mentioned earlier.

Then there's the OLD fashioned 'boat way', using plain old lightweight canvas stretched TIGHT and tacked around the perimeter, and shellacked, varnished or painted. The paint (whatever kind) actually serves to shrink the fabric pretty tight. It does loosen with time, but it's really cheap, and easily replaceable.
The canvas used is about half way between a heavy flannel sheet and the regular canvas drop cloth you find at HD. I can't recall the weight, but you can feel the difference between regular drop cloth and the canvas used for this app. IIRC, this canvas comes in 6' wide bolts. These 'painted canvas' cabin tops were THE way to make a boat cabin watertight and weatherproof. I would imagine in a teardrop app, one sheet could be used to cover the entire roof, and overlap the seams over the sides, and the side joint could be covered with a simple varnished wood batten. Although the batten would have to be 'cut to fit' the shape of the TD.


If you do a search on here a while back someone did just this type of construction. but it appeared the wind buffeting the fabric loosened it up really easily. I am not sure how you cuold chage it to strengthen the bond and keep the fabric tight all over, since canvas is a natural fabric.

[GPW]

QUOTE: " but it appeared the wind buffeting the fabric loosened it up really easily. " ... must have been too much unsupported fabric .... Old planes never had that problem , flying much faster than we can tow ...