I'm looking for light weight coverings instead of bodywork and have come across Ceconite which is used
instead of doped cotton for covering light aircraft, including the wings. It is available in 3 weights, 63 gsm, 107 gsm and 119 gsm which is very
light and obviously strong enough to hold a plane in the air.
I want to make a cover to keep the rain out of an otherwise exoskeleton car that will also keep the MSVA sphere of doom away from sharp edges and may
also help aerodynamics. I don't want it to weigh anything either. Does anyone know of this stuff? Or have any experience of it? Or know how
to pronounce the name?
You'll learn a whole new world of skills.
Not sure, but may need many coats of ali powder and dope mix to get proper UV protection.
I have covered aircraft wings with the old stuff, takes about a week of applying dope waiting for it to dry, then more, about 8 coats.
DO THIS IN A WELL VENTILATED AREA.
ceconite uses no dope to shrink it. You iron it or use a heat gun. Simple, quick and non-smelly!
Looks like a really good idea - though there aren't many stones in the air (!) and I wonder how good it is at dealing with that sort of annoying
but repeated impact.... Would be similar in finish to that fabric covered BMW concept a few years back which looked v cool!
Chris
Looks a bit like solartex for model aircraft
http://www.solarfilm.co.uk/default.aspx
If it's like the model film, anything sharpish will put a rip in it.. Maybe get a sample and play with it..
Dan
quote:
Originally posted by smart51
ceconite uses no dope to shrink it. You iron it or use a heat gun. Simple, quick and non-smelly!
Depending on what type of engine you have, you might need BEConite instead
BEConite?
That stuff is reayy light but has no strength. It will blow within 15K miles!!
I can say this because I have had both and everybody loves a CEC V BEC gag!!
Back when I was a student we used it to cover the fuselage of the Lambach HL II replica we built. I wasn't the one working with the Ceconite, but
if memory serves me well, the guys who used it enjoyed working with it. The end result was also very impressive. Tight as a drum.
I've never used it, have heard it pronounced kekonite & checkonite don't know if either is correct. It's been around a long time in
the aero industry - I'm amazed it's never been used in the car game for racing etc. My cousins plane, an aerobatic Zlin has it as a covering
- it is certainly tight & pretty strong - his plane will do well over 200mph. I think it would stand up to small stones even over a period of
time, but even if you rip it you could repair the local area. For this reason a 2 or 3 colour paint scheme might be a good idea.
I've been told it's very expensive - but that's when covering a whole plane with it, for a small area such as you want might be quite
economic - just make sure the IVA tester sees it as being "permanent"
quote:
Originally posted by smart51
ceconite uses no dope to shrink it. You iron it or use a heat gun. Simple, quick and non-smelly!
Ceconite is dacron cloth. You can find it a whole lot cheaper at a fabric shop than from a aviation supplier. So instead of a couple of dollars a
sqaure meter the whole project is a couple of dollars. (yes I'm on that side of the pond)
You can glue it in place then use a ordinary iron set to about 350°F/180°C to shrink it tight. Then you can leave it or paint it so it is water/air
tight.
Also when you get it on you can paint it with latex paint and a foam brush with a bit of flotrol added and come up with nice cheap paint. There are a
few guys who have used this on airplanes stored outside and its still good after 8-10 years in the sun. The latex if it is exterior has uv stabilizers
and lasts. You can even find gloss colours from some brands.