Holes in the fabric

[CoClimber 33]

I wasn't really thinking this one through when I did it.  I covered my fuselage and when I went to install my controls, I saw that the four bolts that attach the elevator/aileron controls to the floor would be going through the plywood floorboards and I wouldn't be able to access the nuts for these bolts without cutting small access holes in the fabric at the bottom of the fuselage.  I hope this makes sense.  The point is that I have four .75" holes in the bottom of my fuselage.  Had I planned ahead, I would have put access panels there but the fabric is painted and I'm lazy. Will those holes be a problem - in flight and during the airworthiness inspection?  They are small enough that a duct tape patch would cover them completely.  Or should I do the right thing and pull everything out and put the access rings in there for inspection plates?

[Allen Sutphin 705]

Colored duct tape cut in 1 1/2" circles.  Use pinking shears to cut the circles. An off field airplane isn't worth a darn unless it has duct tape on it! Also makes a temporary repair till time to fix it. If one would make test panels when they do a covering job, one for each color, then one would have spare fabric patches ready to glue over a tear or ding. And about any good glue will work.

Edited 28 Jul 2020 by Allen Sutphin

[CoClimber 33]

The airplane is a cream color and I have white duct tape so it looks like I'm set.  I got a laugh about your off field airplane.

[Allen Sutphin 705]

After a little cow manure gets splashed on it, it'll match perfectly.

[CoClimber 33]

LOL!  I hate to break it to you, but I put the little wheel up front with the thought that it wouldn't be seeing and cow manure where I will be flying.  Maybe I should fly down and see you and you can point out good fields for me to get that even coloring.

 

[Allen Sutphin 705]

Nothing wrong with the little wheel on the front, it throws stuff all over the belly. Think of that nice clean belly as a blank artist canvas.

[109jb 181]

Nothing wrong with the duct  tape, but I personally hate the gooey mess that duct tape becomes over a short time. If it were me, I would just go ahead and fabric over the holes and do a little brush finishing just like you would do for a tear or damage to the fabric.  The prefinished panel is a great idea that I think I will do when I cover my project airplane. Those bolts you are talking about you won't likely to need to get to once all is said and done. I'd venture that on many, if not most airplanes those are covered by installing the bolts before covering anyway. It is just a small pinked edge patch glued on and a few coats of whatever dope process you selected. Alternately I would glue something on with fabric cement not needing finishing. Things that come to mind are aluminum flashing material, a scrap of oratex, a bit of plastic or other material.

[ChrisBolkan 130]

Of course fabric covering is the fanciest way to cover the holes, but then you have to cut the fabric (again) to (re)gain access. I think the tape idea has potential. i would do two things if I were using tape. I think I'd carefully melt the edges of the holes in the fabric with a soldering iron or similar to bind the frayed edges of the fabric. then I would use a very high quality sail plane type gap seal tape. it sticks real well, yet wont take paint off or leave sticky goo behind when you remove it. I don't know if it is vinyl or urethane but it is wonderful stuff. Just a thought

[1avidflyer 1983]

On my Avid, I have a sheet of thin aluminum on the belly from the firewall back to the landing gear.  It's a bit of a heat/fire shield.   You could do something like that as well. JImChuk

[ChrisBolkan 130]

That's how my MKIV was and my Fat Avis is. Very thin sheet metal under there. Best solution for reasons Jim said. I believe sheet metal solution was original to the kit