Rudder Oratex - Polini 303 work

[ksatter26]

In preparation for the projected December weather here in North Texas, I moved the basic Oratex covering process into a spare bedroom. Sure enough we've had a streak of wonderfully warm mid-December weather here.

As noted earlier, the flaperons are covered.

With the arrival of the FIXING tape I went to work on covering the rudder. This tape is really good stuff to work with even at $19/roll (plus shipping from Anchorage). I've ordered another roll for covering the wings.

On the engine front. John Blanton (owner of Barebones Automotive and Diesel in Denton, TX) will look over my 303 Monday afternoon (18 December). He has a fluky single ignition 303 paramotor that he knows intimately. My hope is that I can bring home a functioning Polini by Monday evening.

Family and friends are concerned about working in the un-heated and un-airconditioned shop so I got another early Christmas/Birthday present in the form of an 8' tall, 85 lb pyramid propane heater to go with my huge shop fan.

[Badland-F5 Pilot]

In preparation for the projected December weather here in North Texas, I moved the basic Oratex covering process into a spare bedroom. Sure enough we've had a streak of wonderfully warm mid-December weather here.

As noted earlier, the flaperons are covered.


IMG_1132.JPG


With the arrival of the FIXING tape I went to work on covering the rudder. This tape is really good stuff to work with even at $19/roll (plus shipping from Anchorage). I've ordered another roll for covering the wings.


IMG_1130.JPG



IMG_1131.JPG


On the engine front. John Blanton (owner of Barebones Automotive and Diesel in Denton, TX) will look over my 303 Monday afternoon (18 December). He has a fluky single ignition 303 paramotor that he knows intimately. My hope is that I can bring home a functioning Polini by Monday evening.

Family and friends are concerned about working in the un-heated and un-airconditioned shop so I got another early Christmas/Birthday present in the form of an 8' tall, 85 lb pyramid propane heater to go with my huge shop fan.


EnvironmentalControls.JPG

More info on the tape - you're using the tape to cover the seam where the one side of the Oratex is glued to the other?

And - That's one BIG heater!

[LA F2 Flyer]

Kurt, correct me if I'm wrong...its essentially very effective masking tape, correct?

[ksatter26]

Checkout the YouTube video on Oratex Rudder Covering in 80 minutes.

A length of the tape is applied to the coverd side of the rudder to set the edge of the glue line for the overlap of fabric from the remaining side. Glue is applied up to the edge of the tape ... overlapping the tape is is ok as it does not penitrate the brown tape. Another length of the tape is applied overlapping the 1st length of tape ( at about half the width of the tape). The overlapping fabric is stretched/heated in place. The excess overlapping fabric is folded and creased along the line of the topmost tape edge. The excess fabric is then trimmed away along this creased line. Afterwards the topmost layer of tape is removed followed by removal of the bottom layer. What remains is a not very wide edge of fabric that is then heated/pressed in place completing the smooth overlap seam.

Yes, the tape acts like masking tape. HOWEVER, as I posted earlier, masking tape, painter's tape and paper tape all presented problems. All allowed the glue to seep thru leaving a ragged glue line on the finished surface. Painter's tape worked best (least seepage, but tended to tear and leave ragged remnants of the tape that had to be lifted off with an exacto knife blade. ALL were difficult to remove.

The $18/roll (plus shipping from Anchorage) fixing tape (the brown stuff) seems impervious to the glue and peels away cleanly. It seems to be working well. I cannot recommend using anything else.

[Badland-F5 Pilot]

I will certainly look at that video. It sounds like it is the best way to leave a nice smooth clean line. Thank you!