Fabric Covering II

In addition to covering the occasional airplane, fabric turns out to
be rather handy stuff. It makes dandy sails, for example. And
awnings. And camper shells(!) or glider trailers (!!).

Or my favorite, Sand Box Lids :-) (Seriously! [...or mebbe not too]
See bobhooversblog.blogspot.com )

-R.S.Hoover

PS - The Secret Message buried in all this is that you don't really
need an airplane to learn about 'aircraft' fabric work. In fact, you
can make all the mistakes you want in the privacy of your own home
using nothing more exotic than old bed-sheets and supplies from the
local Borg.

PS *- *The Secret Message buried in all this is that you don't really
need an airplane to learn about 'aircraft' fabric work. *In fact, you
can make all the mistakes you want in the privacy of your own home
using nothing more exotic than old bed-sheets and supplies from the
local Borg.


I did a lot of experimenting with fabric while building the Wright
machine. Since the specs of "Pride of the West" were rather elusive,
my experiments involved learning to count threads, evaluating fabric
weights, weave tension, shrinkage and deformation etc. I also invented
a vaccum-powered aparatus to evaluate the relative poriousity of
several fabric samples. (I was working for a pneumatic equipment
dealer at the time). And yes, I did test several bedsheets.

I seriously considered fabric as a covering for the glider's transport
trailer, but determined that the cost of fabric and paint was about
equal to 5-V galvinized steel roofing pannels. So now I have an ugly
steel trailer instead a pretty fabric one.

Still kinda fun trying to lay out cut lines for flat-feld seams that
run diagonally to the span of a wing. Just like Orville, I did it by
"squating 'round" on the living room floor.

Harry Frey
Wright Brothers Enterprises
Wright 1902 glider and others