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Posted

Is there anyone out there using Ripstop Nylon Fabric for the skins on their rag and tube Ultralight? I`m seriously thinking of using Ripstop for my next set of skins on the Drifter.

 

Ripstop Fabric - Fabric.com

 

Frank.

 

 

Posted

I haven't used it but it might be right for my revised wing covering as well. It's hell of a lot cheaper than Lycra.

 

 

Posted
I haven't used it but it might be right for my revised wing covering as well. It's hell of a lot cheaper than Lycra.

Lycra? Well that’s a kinky choice - leopard print by any chance?

Probably meant to say Dacron

 

 

Posted

What I have seen of it is very thin.I would do a lot of research before commiting to using it. Think about what its failure could do to your day.

 

I will see what I can find out about it.

 

 

  • Like 1
Posted

ON line I have seen that ripstop nylon is used for many things. I had forgotten that it was used in spinnakers. It certainly took some hammering in the two spinnakers I used for racing. It is used for paragliders and no doubt can be bought in heavier weights than I have ever seen.

 

Ask the manufacturer for detaails of strength, porosity, stretch etc.

 

Nylon was a stretchy material, but the spinnaker material seemed to hold shape well, I wonder if the reinforcing material is also nylon.

 

 

  • Like 1
Posted
Is there anyone out there using Ripstop Nylon Fabric for the skins on their rag and tube Ultralight? I`m seriously thinking of using Ripstop for my next set of skins on the Drifter.Ripstop Fabric - Fabric.com

 

Frank.

Hi Frank I'd stick to what has been serving your drifter well over all your flying years. It could be worth asking your sail maker if they can do a set in the 'Xlam' fabric that Skyranger use its great although a little dearer that the Dacron ones. You will find discussion on the skyranger and other webb searches.

 

 

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Posted

Way way back in the early days of home building hang gliders we used rip stop nylon (we called it parka nylon) & it really stretched heaps. Of course then came dacron which didn't stretch and later mylar, kevlar etc. Cost increased as the products improved. I'd use dacron although more expensive than nylon it will outlast it by a long shot.

 

 

Posted

I imported a quantity of rip-stop fabric in the 80's to cover a project I was working on. A friend was about to re-cover his Jackaroo and asked to buy the material from me as I was a way down the track from needing it. It was heat shrinkable but never permanently tautened. It was always stretching and quite unsuitable. I don't know whether it has advanced but I would not try it. Don

 

 

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Posted
Lycra? Well that’s a kinky choice

... obviously never been to a shopping center in Logan City on a Saturday.

 

 

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Posted
Hi Frank I'd stick to what has been serving your drifter well over all your flying years.

Sound Logic, no doubt! 020_yes.gif.58d361886eb042a872e78a875908e414.gif

 

Frank.

 

 

Posted
Trade name for nice ripstop fabric is ICAREX. but about 20 bucks per meter sq.

Now that looks like it might do the job. Ripstop polyester, as Dacron is just a square weave polyester.

 

 

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Posted

Dacron/polyester may ONLY be plain weave BUT

 

1. It’s stretch in warp/weft are well known and VERY much less than nylon spinnaker fabric.

 

2. It’s cost in white in 4-5oz is equal or less then nylon ... colours are generally around 50% more than white unless you buy the entire roll

 

3. UV stability well known and very good

 

Sorry but if nylon was actually well suited to hard work you’d have seen them rolled out in the mainsails decades ago - it has not because higher load is not well handked by it due to stretch and deformation from the required cut and in aircraft use the limited stretch and retaining shape wins hands down.

 

Polyester wins unless you have the money for a laminate ... and even there laminated for yachts are often not well suited to aircraft because they have accepted increased cost and stability over UV life.

 

Trilam is a good laminate if you can get it ... and it’s polyester core with clear laminate overlay.

 

 

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  • Informative 2
Posted
2. It’s cost in white in 4-5oz is equal or less then nylon ...

what's the phone number for 000, and how much does 4-5oz weigh?

 

(1 square meter?)

 

 

Posted
what's the phone number for 000, and how much does 4-5oz weigh?

(1 square meter?)

Was short hand for 4 to 5 oz.

And that’s light weight. Most coloured Dacron sailcloth eg contender coloured - is 4oz / sailmakers yard

 

White plain weave I’ve used in thruster, flightstar and a couple of others I made sails for were either 4 or 4.4oz.

 

The leading edges on the weight shift sails I’ve made are all 8oz with a 4oz outer colour sleeve.

 

And for clarification a sailmakers yard is not 9ft^2 but 36”x28.5”

 

So doing a bit of conversion 4oz Dacron weighs around 172g/m^2

 

 

  • Informative 1
Posted
Was short hand for 4 to 5 oz.

Yes, you may have missed my joke there ..

 

The leading edges on the weight shift sails I’ve made are all 8oz with a 4oz outer colour sleeve.

Not quite understanding there sorry, you have a leading edge with a total of 12oz dacron covering?

 

The reason I'm asking is I'm toying with an idea of making metal wings using perforated metal skins, 40 or 50% (the measurement for the amount of hole area, which of course is also the reduction in weight), and then covering it. I have zero knowldge of materials and covering experience.

 

 

Posted
Yes, you may have missed my joke there ..

 

 

 

Not quite understanding there sorry, you have a leading edge with a total of 12oz dacron covering?

 

The reason I'm asking is I'm toying with an idea of making metal wings using perforated metal skins, 40 or 50% (the measurement for the amount of hole area, which of course is also the reduction in weight), and then covering it. I have zero knowldge of materials and covering experience.

I miss most jokes. It’s a feature.

As for leading edges on ws theee is usually the leading edge fabric - very heavy because it’s a structural element in the wing that’s holding the curve in the leading edge tube then a light weight pocket sleeve and in the sleeve is slipped the leading edge stiffener - usually Mylar or fibreglass.

 

There is a lot of design and structure at the leading edge of a ws wing

 

 

Posted
Yes, you may have missed my joke there ..

 

 

 

Not quite understanding there sorry, you have a leading edge with a total of 12oz dacron covering?

 

The reason I'm asking is I'm toying with an idea of making metal wings using perforated metal skins, 40 or 50% (the measurement for the amount of hole area, which of course is also the reduction in weight), and then covering it. I have zero knowldge of materials and covering experience.

I wouldn’t do fabric over perforated. You’ll save very little weight but add heaps of cost and time to the build.

You will get a better surface finish for less cost and time by just leaving it solid metal

 

 

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Posted
I wouldn’t l

Ideas have to be tested or we just rot in stagnation.

 

.. and BTW, I've seen it done on a fiberglass wing where the guy cut multiple bits out of the fiberglass out and then covered it.

 

 

Posted
I like the idea of covered perforated sheet. Oracover which make the Oratex fabric also make a "Film" ORASTICK Breite: 60 cm Länge: 2 m - OracoverThe sheet maintains structural integrity and shape while the oracover covers the holes and provides the colour as a bonus. Win win?

Well I need to do a few test pieces and see what's what. Can't see a downside in theory, and theres a couple of advantages, rivet holes already there being one of them.

 

A Mate of mine here has just bought into a perforating machine, very similar to this one ..

 

 

 

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