> For what it is worth... I had a conversation with John about
> the cover last year when I was picking up my kit.
> It was made from a high quality insulated fabric that did not
> allow the heat to penetrate to the skin of the aircraft. He said
> that some early covers were causing a warping of the skin
> due to heat.
> ...
> Brian Skelly
Have 28 years now learning about canopy covers, on a plane residing
downwind of an [acidic] coal-fired power plant. My last two covers
(the 1st one lasted 10 years) were from planecover.com, but sorry no
homebuilts. I'd also think that temperature is primarily a function
of color. Anyway, were you to call Jim Cancil at planecover.com,
here's the short course he just loves to give you, and IMO he's right.
A bit off-color means eventual dirt matters less aesthetically. Then
there's the issue of the softness of the underside so as not to
scratch plexiglass windows. And you want it to breathe, so it doesn't
trap moisture. Therein can lie chemicals which attacks paint, though
much less so only with polyurethane, as I sadly learned on a
competitor's cover. And then you want a balance of
thickness/flexibility to dry out quicker, but not so thin you can't
affix the cover without help in other than light winds. You also want
quick-release fasteners on the straps, but also some stretch in the
straps. Jim uses auto seat-belt strap, but underneath the A/C is a
clever loop of bungee joining the lengths, so you have just the right
tension to secure the fasteners w/o excess pulling which can
eventually fail the sewn threads. You also want as best fit as
possible, as that prevents excess flapping in strong winds which
abrades paint.
Reg,
Fred F.
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