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Fabric and finish weights

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fly2kads

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Location
Justin, TX
One question that comes up from time to time is how to estimate the weights of aircraft fabric finishes. I was going through my copy of K. D. Wood's Airplane Design (eighth edition, 1947), and found the following data. I thought I'd post this here for comment and reference.

Airplane Cloth, Merc. Cottonlbs./sq. ft.
Grade A (all but 90" widths).028
Grade A (90" widths).031
Grade B (all but 90" widths).031
Grade B (90" widths).033









Coatinglbs./sq. ft.
Clear nitrate dope.0052 - .0076
Pigmented dope.0056 - .0083
Lacquers.0056 - .0090
Synthetic enamels.0049 - .0069
Primers.0035 - .0069










Fabric and Dope
The approximate weight of fabric, tape, dope finishing material, and attaching parts as used in control surface covering varies from .070 lbs./sq. ft. of fabric area.
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Not too many people are finishing their aircraft in Grade A and dope these days, but I thought this would still serve as an interesting historical reference, one that might serve as a decent starting point for estimation.

Adding some more modern references, here are the Ceconite fabrics presented in the same format.

Ceconite fabriclbs./sq. ft.
102-5 (standard weight).019
101-4 (heavy duty).024
Uncertified light.013







I haven't seen anything definitive about the weights of more modern finishes, such as Poly Fiber, Stewart, etc. I have seen comments to the effect that the total weight of all required coats wind up being roughly the same for the different systems, as there is a certain mil thickness required to fill the fabric weave and present a nice finish, regardless of the thickness of the individual coats. The assumption is that more coats of thinner dope vs. fewer coats of modern synthetic chemicals still wind up about the same mil thickness and weight in the end. I'd be interested in seeing some actual data to back that up.

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Added 6/17/16: Poly Fiber completed weights, from Poly Fiber via Rockiedog2

Poly Fiber, Medium 5, fully finishedlbs./sq. ft.
Polyspray.063
Polytone.069
Aerothane.076
 
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