AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2018 - 36

PILOT BRIEFING

SUPER CUB SWEEPSTAKES

Not your
grandfather's Levi's
Sweeps Super Cub's covering light, durable with a high-gloss finish
B Y A LY S S A J. C O B B

36 | AOPA PILOT January 2018

EMAIL alyssa.cobb@aopa.org

For more information
Baker Air
www.bakerairservice.com
Consolidated Aircraft Coatings
www.conaircraft.com
Univair
www.univair.com
Visit the AOPA Super Cub
Sweepstakes webpage (www.
aopa.org/sweeps) to see photos
of the latest work on the aircraft
along with a complete list of
generous contributors.

ROGER MEGGERS

WITH POLY-FIBER fabric and a high-gloss Ranthane finish on
AOPA's Sweepstakes Super Cub, the aircraft's shine will rival that
of painted aluminum or composite aircraft. "You think of fabric
like a pair of Levi's," but pilots want something that "looks like
their girlfriend's Mercedes," said Jon Goldenbaum, president of
Consolidated Aircraft Coatings, which donated the fabric, coatings, and paint for the sweepstakes.
Polyester fabric is lightweight, yet strong and durable. "It's still
the lightest covering you can put on an airplane," Goldenbaum said.
About 45 yards of fabric plus eight gallons of protectant, six gallons
of paint, and tape weigh only about 60 pounds, he said. "That's why
Super Cubs perform unbelievably on lower horsepower."
The covering's durability solves the bad reputation that Grade
A cotton and Irish silk gave fabric aircraft during the early days,
requiring replacement every five or six years. Cotton was susceptible to mold and rot. Poly-Fiber isn't damaged by mold or avgas,
but UV rays are its kryptonite, which is why every inch of the fabric
will be protected with a silver coating called poly-spray. With the
protectant coating and paint applied properly, the covering should
last beyond 35 years in any temperature extreme (more than 25 if
kept outside), Goldenbaum said. The covering's tensile strength is
much higher than cotton: A one-inch strip of Poly-Fiber can withstand 115 pounds of force, but cotton only 80. A person could walk
on the wings and not break through the covering, Goldenbaum
explained-just don't try it at home; that would damage the ribs
underneath the covering.

Repairing fabric is simpler than repairing aluminum
or carbon fiber, making fabric aircraft such as Super Cubs
particularly popular in Alaska. If fabric is damaged in
the bush, a pilot could fly home after repairing it with
duct tape, Goldenbaum said, noting that duct tape is not
an official repair but an emergency tool to get back to
civilization.
The craftsmen at Baker Air Service in Baker, Montana,
will spend 350 to 400 hours meticulously applying the
fabric to AOPA's Sweepstakes Super Cub, said Baker Air
Service Owner Roger Meggers. Baker Air Service will rib
stitch the flight control surfaces but will use fabric rivets
on the wings, thanks to Univair's redesigned ribs made specifically to fit the rivets, which are a little bigger than pop
rivets.
These experts keep their restorations looking new
for years. AOPA President Mark Baker's own Super Cub
toured the association's final three regional fly-ins of 2017
as a stand-in, and attendees were astonished that Baker Air
Service had restored Baker's Super Cub 18 years and more
than 1,000 flight hours ago-yet it still shines like new.

http://www.bakerairservice.com http://www.conaircraft.com http://www.univair.com http://www.aopa.org/sweeps http://www.aopa.org/sweeps

AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2018