I actually got the idea to use Kydex on the PA-12 project from MCS Mike. It was available locally in black so I bought a sheet and started messing with it. Fun Stuff. Cut it with snips bend it in a brake heat mold it etc. It worked well and the interior came out great. I like acrylic plastic interiors because the are so durable and clean up easily (mud, fish guts spilled coolers etc.). By using the proper color you skip the painting or powder coating when using aluminum. Saves time weight and money especially when you’re making custom panels like I am for the L-21 windows and extended baggage.
I spent some time and came up with 3 products I liked that met the FAR burn certification tests. (You don’t need FAR burn certification in a CAR 3 airplane but that’s a whole different story). All in .047 or the nearest metric equivalents.
1. Kydex
2. Royalite R-52
3. Boltaron
Kydex- all around good everything. Very flexible. Molds easily and cuts easily. I actually bent some angles in the wrong spots and went back and straightened the out by unbending them and hitting it with a heat gun just to slightly warm the material. Rebent the angle after it cooled and you couldn’t tell the difference at all. The only problem was it is only available locally in black .060 and I wanted a gray color for this one.
Royalite- got a sample from the local vendor and liked it. Came in two different grays and seemed very similar to Kydex. One side is a mat/hair cell type texture and the other side (back side) is glossy. Only available in .060. I even went so far as to call the factory in Ohio to see about .047. They have an entire pallet of the gray I wanted in .047 but were unwilling to break up the batch. Basically it was unavailable until someone buys the entire pallet and retails it out. Kind of a bummer because it was my first choice.
Boltaron- this is what I’m using on the current project. I was able to get it in light gray and .047. I’m not positive but I think it’s the same material used in the cockpit of the B-737. I’ve spent hours looking at it and if it’s not the same stuff it’s pretty darn close. It comes in 4x12 sheets instead of 4x8 so you get a little more material (bonus!). It’s not as flexible as Kydex. If you try and unbend something, it will crack. It ok and the interior is completely finished now. Came out great but it’s not quite as easy to work with as Kydex.
Going forward, my first choice would be Kydex. The problem is I can’t find 4x8 sheets in any other color but black. If you want a black interior, this is definitely a good choice for material. Royalite would be my second choice but it’s unavailable. Boltaron ( which is what I used) would be my third choice. It is however available in several colors and 4x12 sheets.
All of the above will make a fine interior. If you can only get .060 I wouldn’t worry about using it. Truthfully the difference between .047 and.060 is for the entire interior is probably less than a pound.
Just my thoughts. YMMV
