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Medium fabric on a Pawnee

Anchorage, AK
To the other IA's on here. Is there any reason I can't use medium fabric to recover a Pawnee. (They came with heavy fabric from the factory.) The Pawnee in question doesn't do Ag anymore rather it tows gliders.
 
If you're replacing the fabric as a Major Repair, you have to use the original method.
If you are using an STC to Replace the Fabric as a Major Alteration, you can use whatever they say you can.

(Just my Take)
 
Charlie, while it's always a good thing to save weight where practical, on Pawnee-sized aeroplanes there's not as much weight savings on the fabric as one might think. A bigger variable is the weight of coating systems with the chosen system. What system does your shop like to work with? If you're doing fuselage, consider adding removable metal belly panels, which were a factory option at some point--C and D models, I believe. Adds some weight, but greatly facilitates inspection and maintenance.

One other point on glider tugs, the propwash area really takes a beating, so closer rib-stitching like the acro folks do is money well spent. Hope this works out well for you.

Thanks. cubscout
 
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Charlie:
http://www.conaircraft.com/ceconite-manual.pdf
The STC is on Page 110. In the AML it lists the Pawnee.
And on Page 2 it says:
Our Ceconite 101 and 102 fabrics may be mixed or matched on every aircraft included on our STC.

Medium weight fabric goes a lot quicker and easier than the heavy weight stuff…..


Cheers,
Andrew.
 
Thanks Andrew that's what I figured. Not really looking for weight saving just don't like the way the heavy fabric lays on the wings. Probably do heavy on the fuselage and tail feathers, medium on the wing, flaps and ailerons.

On a side note I notice some Pawnee tugs have the wire strike kit removed including the wire to the tail. Any downside to this?
 
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We're looking at putting a tow rope reel on one of our Pawnee's. Anyone have experience with it?
 
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Medium grade Dacron is the equivalent of Grade A in strength. I would guess that glider towing is not quite as tough on fabric as spraying was. Spraying is now done by metal turbine aircraft. Opinion.
 
We're looking at putting a tow rope reel on one of our Pawnee's. Anyone have experience with it?

I was asked once to go and patch the fuselage fabric on a Pawnee where they'd taken the tow rope winch OUT. Waste of time and money they said. Someone must think they're good?

Andrew.
 
Randy Long at Long's Aircraft in Coleman, Texas put a reel in a Pawnee we did some frame work on. Seems the glider club runway approach comes right over a certain interstate and the tow line took a guy right off his motorcycle. [emoji15]

Sent from my SM-N900V using SuperCub.Org mobile app
 
On a side note I notice some Pawnee tugs have the wire strike kit removed including the wire to the tail. Any downside to this?

Well, as long as you don't strike any wires........;-)
No, I don't think it helps hold the airplane together, unless maybe you're doing outside loops!
 
Well, as long as you don't strike any wires........;-)
No, I don't think it helps hold the airplane together, unless maybe you're doing outside loops!

The two greatest dangers in glider towing are tow plane upsets and mid-airs and the wire strike kit isn't going to help one little bit in either one of those I expect.

Andrew.
 
Charlie Longley wrote: "On a side note I notice some Pawnee tugs have the wire strike kit removed including the wire to the tail. Any downside to this?"


Charlie, I can't think I've seen but one or two Pawnee glider tugs WITH the wire strike kit still on, and at least one was rotating back to spraying some. I'd have to check paperwork, but offhand think it's part of the "Restricted Agricultural Application" package which would be removed when moving to the "Standard" airworthiness. You might look at TCDS 2A8 and 2A10 for this.

And MainlandCub is of course right about the two greatest dangers. The Tost release (and probably reel if the guillotine is set up correctly) somewhat mitigate the upsets caused by glider "kiting", but there seems to be an uptick in what I've come to call "Controlled Flight into Display", mainly by fast, well-equipped aeroplanes.

Thanks. cubscout
 
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We're looking at putting a tow rope reel on one of our Pawnee's. Anyone have experience with it?

At Greater Boston Soaring Club we put reels on two Pawnees. Mixed results ended with the reel systems being abandoned. My memory is that issues with the hidden knot at the weak link is what soured the club on the system. As a glider pilot I liked not having a 200' rope fly over the grid while on the ground waiting for a tow.



Sent from my iPhone using SuperCub.Org mobile app
 
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